


If You Close One Eye

by ZoeyAngel



Series: It's love at first sight [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Antisemitism, Assertive Yang Jeongin, Both the main couples are burning slow in this fic, Cheating, Criminology major Minho, Domestic Fluff, Don't worry he's okay, F/M, Getting Together, Graphic Description of Corpses, Guns, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kissing, Lee Minho | Lee Know is Whipped, M/M, Making Out, Minho and Chan are singlehandedly responsible so blame them, Murder Mystery, No Smut, No convenient miscommunications, Now for the MC Minho, Now we're done with these we can add the actual tags, Original Character Death(s), POV Third Person, Panic Attacks, Pedophilia, Perversion, Please give it some love anyway, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Racism, Radical mindsets, Reincarnation, Sad Hwang Hyunjin, Slow Burn, Smut is posted in a different fic for the same series, Stalking, TW are the most important so let's start with those, That one's pretty bad, The bad people causing all this are the villains, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unrequited love but not for the tagged pairings, Violence, art major jisung, best sibling bond ever, day6 are the police, everyone gets a happy ending, good things take time let it slowburn, long fic, minho is a mess, this fic is a MESS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 144,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23668417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoeyAngel/pseuds/ZoeyAngel
Summary: "If you close one eye, you can see what your soulmate sees"Minho and Jisung are both tied by fate, born with one golden eye which they were forced to cover with colored lenses in order to blend into society. Stuck in a race against something menacing, will they be able to find out in time?This is the story of how criminology major and dance minor Lee Minho found himself hopelessly in love with the serial killer, local artist Han.[Alternatively, let's see how long I can make these two dumbasses pine without one of them snapping.Edit: they finally did][Also WARNING: a HUGE amount of Jeongchan ahead, it's not subtle at all! So much fluff--]
Relationships: Bang Chan/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hyunjin was into everyone once, Supposedly changlix let's see where that takes us
Series: It's love at first sight [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866886
Comments: 349
Kudos: 294





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> Based with permission on an old deleted fic from the Eren X Levi fandom, although it didn't have any murders in it ;)
> 
> I have ablot in queue ready for posting so don't worry this won't be discontinued :D
> 
> It's only half-way beta read and I'm not native to english so please be gentle ;w;

"If you close one eye, you can see what your soulmate sees."

* * *

* * *

As per usual, the playground was packed; children of all ages ran wild, squalling and laughing like the little menaces they were- all of them avoiding a short kid who couldn't be older than five, seated at the very end of the sandbox and holding back tears of offense and loneliness.

It's not that he got bullied, he wasn't. His mom raised a tough kid who'd bite back when he's bit, but no one would play with him now. Not with how he looks, they'd rather scream and run.

Five year olds shouldn't worry about that.

Rubbing his left eye- the good one, he could see a woman's shoulder and hair. Her smile, bright and comforting, wording out a song with no sound.

"Jisung!" His mother's voice rang aloud, recognizable and warm in the hostile environment.

"Baby," She called again, finding him and wrapping her son in her arms. For the moment, there was no strange woman- only his own mother.

Jisung sniffled. "I hate people." -These words that shouldn't be said by a child flowed so easily from his lips, as if it was the only reasonable conclusion.

"We need to talk about something" his mother's voice, once excited and lively sounded utterly defeated. Little did he know, it was the last time. Years of telling him he's perfect just the way he is, special and unique in a good way, definitely- have ended up making no difference in the end.

That day, he learned to put on contact lenses.

.

"I know you're upset about the divorce, but you have to accept that it happened."

The woman's voice, high pitched and unpleasant, drove Minho ever so slightly closer to the edge. By now he knew no adult in the world would ever take him seriously, so what was the point in sitting here and listening to her talk?

The woman pursed her lips, plump and telling of the many times they went under the scalpel. Tapping her foot, she hazily reminded Minho of his own mother when scolding was due.

"If you don't talk to me, that's fine. Nothing's going to change. I get paid by the hour you know, I can do this all day."

That being said, she was probably stressed- no therapist had ever gotten Minho to talk, he's been changing doctors since his hallucinations began, which adds to a little over three years now.

"Minho, I can't help you like this. Tell your mother I give up."

A sense of dread spread over the eight years old. Again, another adult doesn't get it. Another one giving up on him, leaving, and suddenly he wanted her to stay. Pretty badly he did, at the time.

"I don't care that my parents broke up, I've been seeing monsters all day"

The woman blinked, stunned into silence. At the tinge of tears he rubbed his right eye- and there it was, certain as ever; drawn with a sharpie, people with horns. In a moment, a pair of hands that weren't his took the drawing away and pulled out a new one, drawing harshly a sad smiley face.

Although he was a big boy, he cried right then, scared out of his mind and very confused. He cried so hard it almost slipped off- the contact lens hiding his mother's disgrace.

Looking up, the woman made no effort to comfort or dissolve his fright. Rather, she was scribbling down the whole ordeal. Taking notes, furiously assessing and picking him apart, she finished her analysis smugly and said,

"It's time we get you a prescription, my dear"

And that was definitely not the last of it.

.

"Oppa"

Minho groaned lowly, alerting the speaker to the fact he's been woken from sleep.

"Minho oppa!" the voice persisted. Fully intent on hanging up, Minho side glanced at the caller id to make sure it wasn't important.

"Motherfucker!" the voice on the other end rose. From the corner of the bed Doongie meowed, alarmed.

"Freaking shrimp, what do you think you're calling your oppa?" He blurted. This isn't a call he should skip.

"Egg laying bastard! Answer me when I call you!" His sister's comforting voice trickled out.

"Gremlin twarp!"

"ballerina!"

"Whiny child!"

"Prune old man!"

"spoiled princess!"

"Mean hoe!"

"-!" Wheeze.

"I got you, you horrible gay bitch"

"We're both gay, Ryu" He threw back.

It's been a while since she last called.

"Well, you live alone, so I assume you're doing much gayer things than I can do at home."

Minho started, failing to hold back his horrified gasp. "Ryujin, you're eighteen!" He exclaimed. It seemed like yesterday she was still following him around, like some baby duckling.

"She's being mean Doongie, like you three don't count." He added, Ryujin electing to ignore his comment.

"How's dance going?" her tone changed, turning softer. For all their differences, dance for sure has always been something both loved and loved together. From copying idols on TV, to taking ballet and hiphop together, Jazz too.

"I'm not in college for dance and you know it" He groaned, immediately softening as well.

"I miss it a lot. I wish I could do more than minor in it.." On the other side of the call Ryujin hummed, understanding. She has always known his passion best.

"You're good at what you do too. You'd make a kickass detective." She claimed.

"I'm not taking criminology to be a detective." Why she had to be reminded was beyond him. If anything he aimed to be an officer, someone to tell kids off if they mess with the neighborhood cats.

"I'm just saying you could be!" She defended- which wasn't wrong, if he played job openings right. He did have a knack for picking apart mystery books too, but that was nothing out of the usual.

"How's grad life?" He asked with genuine interest. Nothing could ever matter to him more.

"I asked Chelle out, finally." She said, and Minho couldn't help but notice the edge evident in her voice.

"What happened? Did she let you down? Should I come over?" The questions left his lips before he could consider them, worry clouding over him.

"No, it's nothing like that. She said yes, but.. Yeah, oppa, I really wish you were here. I need to talk to you, face to face. Mom misses you too." She ended lamely. It was so unlike her, Minho couldn't find it in him to correct the fact that it was only Ryu's mom and not his.

"Tell her I'll be visiting tonight then, I'll go get ready." He said, fully intent on making the sudden drive over. It was only a two hour ride over to his father's, where Ryujin and his step mother lived too. If he headed out now, he could make it before dinner.

"Really? You don't have to, I know you hate it here-" Her attempts of taking it back wouldn't work once he set his mind to do something.

"Really really. I miss my stinky troll sister too," He insisted. No way was he leaving her be. The moment something felt off with her, he knew he had to go make sure she's fine; there aren't many things as precious in his life as she is.

"Dumbass," she relented, voice worryingly relieved. "I'll go tell mom."

He smiled, tapping his nail on the headboard, now sitting up at his bed. "Bye"

She huffed, pausing for a moment before giving her last reply. "Goodbye, oppa. I love you."

.

Minho sighed, leaning his forehead against the steering wheel.

For what little time he spent at his father's place, a surprising amount of bad memories were made. Up until his teen years he wouldn't even enter, and every time after that made for a rich history; first panic attack, first time breaking a leg falling down the stairs, coming out, taking Ryu to junior prom- door shut in his face that time, claiming she was grounded for beating up the neighbor's son. First time stung by a bee, and that weekend when his father's doberman puppy bit him in play, tore open his front lip and got sent to a dog pound despite his protest.

'Come on,' he thought. 'You can do this. Count to three-' and at three he did, opened his car door and walked up through the front gate.

"Minho! How lovely to see you." Smiled his step mom, a warm, if not a tad unnerving woman.

"Nice to so see you too. How have you been?" He asked, clean-cut manners kicking in. Dal and Byul had meanwhile made their way running over to the door, immediately rubbing against him with some level of desperation. He leaned down, rubbing Dal's small head.

"I've been well, your father too- that's right! Honey, come say hi to Minho." The short, lean woman called, still blocking the entrance to the oversized house and keeping Minho at the door. Whether this was on purpose shall forever remain a mystery- she did it every time.

"That brat has nothing to do in this house" His father's voice warmed over.

"Hi dad." He tried still, calling over the woman's shoulder. "Can I come in?"

Said obstacle smiled, moving aside at last. "Of course sweetie, Ryujin will be right over."

Taking that exchange for what it was, he made fast pace towards the kitchen. Avoiding his father has become a praised skill by now, a crucial one by all means.

"Dallie, Byulie, psps" he tried, pleased when both ran on over towards his outstretched hand. Two more allies at the ready.

Light steps cleared the remaining discomfort sullying his mood in short moments. "You!" A pair of arms tightened around his shoulders, prompting Minho to lift his little sister in a piggyback.

"You too!" He answered, relieved at feeling welcomed at last.

"I can't believe you actually came. Did you tell your mother you're over?" She asked, tactless as ever. He loves her a whole lot for that, too.

"She's not the boss of me, I'm twenty one" He announced, eyes closed in a content smile as his sister gently pet his hair like a cat.

"What about me? I'm almost nineteen, I wish I was free like you, Lino!" Exclaimed Ryujin, but really she didn't. There was a certain freedom gained from nobody caring about you that no one should be jealous of.

Letting her hop back onto the ground, Minho kept the smile on his face. She seemed fine, but he could tell better. Still, they couldn't talk before dinner- the pots and pans at the stovetop smelled just about ready, after all.

Instead he turned to face her, petting her head lovingly like she had his. "What's this? This tiny Ryuddaeng's nineteen? No way."

"Almost!" she growled. "Next month I'll be."

"Where have the times gone?" he questioned, shoving her playfully at the comments of "old man".

.

Dinner went as uncomfortably as expected, his father and he had behaved remarkably well- hadn't spoken a word to each other throughout. Minho ate neatly, made sure to compliment his step mother for every dish, and Ryujin helped by washing them after. All in all, it was successful unlike many dinners before.

Making way to the guest bedroom, Minho paused at the sight of his sister's door left slightly open. Right, yes- this would be a good time.

Knocking quietly, he waited for permission before entering and closing the door, waiting for Byul to enter alongside him. "Are you alright?"

Ryujin nodded, glancing up at him and back to the floor. He took that as a sign to take a seat down on her fancy dragon themed carpet.

"Are you really alright? Ryujin, I know we're not great communicators, but I'm still very worried. Is it dad?" At that his sister shook her head, taking a deep breath.

"Don't get mad, but I have a huge favor. You know Chelle, I swore I'll ask her out when I graduate and I did, but she…" Minho crossed and uncrossed his legs, chin finding its place resting on a knee. Byul purred, rubbing against it.

"She's missing. She's been missing for two weeks now, no one knows where she is." She explained, voice stern.

"I don't think she ran away, but her parents keep saying she did. She said nothing to me." She added, hoping he'd fill in the rest on his own.

"They're not filling in for missing person?" He asked, worry making his back stress and ace.

Ryujin nodded. "I know she's the bad girl type, but she wasn't into drugs and her friends seem fine. I keep trying to ask around but I can't, what if something serious happened?"

Minho nodded, realizing where he comes in. "You want me to investigate? See where that takes us?" He asked. For sure, that should be the police's job- but with her parents saying she ran away, would they even bother?

Ryujin kept quiet, eyes burning holes into Minho's. This was her crush, a big one- he's never liked Chelle, but now? If Ryujin cares that much… sure. It's not something he should be messing with legally, and a new project to be added atop his ever growing college work, but he'd do it for her. "Okay."

"Okay?" Ryujin asked back, relieved.

"Yes. I'll do it." He assured.

Ryujin's features softened farther, mouth breaking into a smile. "You're my new favorite person."

Minho smiled lightly, mind running full speed. "I need details. When and where she was last seen, and about her; exes, Instagram, friends and hangouts."

Ryujin's smile faded. Nonetheless she turned, pulling a notebook out of her bedside drawer.

Scribbling away the details he requested, she paused to ask a couple questions before turning back to her chore. "I know less than I thought." She admitted.

"That's fine, but I have a few more. How was her mental state, where did she study, was she on meds and did she mention any places?"

This kept on for a few hours, ending after they let an annoyed Byul out of the room - with Ryujin tiredly announcing that her brain is fried and he can ask the rest over chat when he's back in college. On his end, Minho learned one important thing:

This girl was not who she seemed to be.

.

Back at his apartment, Minho re-read all eleven papers of info they've gathered. On the way he's prepared a list of places to visit, only two of which stemmed from the info Ryujin herself had given him. Other than the school and family bistro down the street, it seemed the two have never gone out together, although Chelle was one to do so.

Good, he thought.

Scrolling through her Instagram, he noted which followers seemed to comment more, and who would show most often on highlights. Her latest post have been boring- it was landscape art of what he assumed to be a tall grass field on the outskirts of seoul. Around three months back he found a picture of some guy at the beach, shirt off and abs in clear view. Seeing as he looked nothing like Chelle, it would seem they weren't related.

Sorting through the packed comment section, someone's request to take it down stood out. Tapping on the person's icon, he realized that was probably the guy in the picture, although the account was made private. An ex? That would make a good trail.

Not having an account himself, by now Minho has used Ryujin's, but to follow guys it would seem he needs his own account.

Setting up all the necessities, he took a nice picture of Dori and made it his profile, sending the guy a follow request right away.

Now we wait.

.

"Oppa, if you have no photos or description and no followers, and he doesn't know you, did you really expect he'd approve your request?" Ryujin's laughter trickled through the speakers, as if it's been obvious. "You're going to have to find him." She pointed, before hesitantly adding, "Or I can-"

"No." Minho said, stern. "This guy could be Chelle's ex, he might be really dangerous! You don't get to follow his Instagram."

Ryujin sighed, and Minho got the sudden mental image of her rubbing the bridge of her nose as she did. "You have friends right? Ask one of them." She advised.

"I need to go, dad said I can't go out unless I finish these applications." She explained, hanging up after a round of goodbyes.

Right. He did! He has friends.

Picking his phone back up, Minho scrolled his contacts looking for either Felix or Hyunjin. The two weren't in his major, but they shared a dance class. Out of the student body, they were closest to his definition of friends.

A couple rings went by before the line picked up. "Hyung? Hello!" Felix's cheerful voice calmed the older's nerves ever so slightly.

"Felix, hi." He answered, trying to seem casual. "How are you?"

Felix took a moment before responding. "I'm great! I'm actually out with Chan hyung, is something up?"

"Who?" Minho asked, confused.

Felix took another moment. "Bang Chan. He's a fourth year in sociology, I don't think you'll know him."

Minho came close to a sob right then. "Can you pass him the phone?"

"Yeah sure." Felix agreed immediately, followed by ruttling sounds.

"Hello?" A voice sounded, accent similar to Felix's own.

"Hi! My name is Minho, I followed you on Instagram a couple days ago."

A short silence. "Oh my god." Chan exclaimed.

"No, never mind that, I need to talk to you." He rephrased.

"I have no idea who you are." Chan replied, confused.

"It's about Chelle." Minho added, hoping to learn anything from the other's reply.

"Oh." Was all he got. "Okay, I guess we should meet sometime then. How is she?"

The question caught Minho off guard.

"I, I'll tell you more when we meet. When are you free?" he asked, quickly seeking out a pen and scribbling the time and date on his wrist, phone squeezed between his ear and shoulder.

"Yeah, sounds great! See you then." He concluded, getting passed back to Felix and thanking him profoundly before hanging up.

"In my own college." He muttered after the phone found its place back on the table.

"Unbelievable."

.

Not many people occupied the café, despite its convenient location not far off the olympic park. For that reason Minho concluded, the coffee there probably sucked.

It wasn't his intention to show fifteen minutes early, but his nerves got the best of him, taking shape in miserable pacing until he deemed it late enough to leave his apartment already. Worst case scenarios running through his mind, he wasn't expecting it as someone took seat in the chair opposite of his.

"Hello. It's Minho, right?" Asked the stranger, dimples forming in an awkward smile.

"Ah." Minho voiced dumbly before quickly picking himself up adding,

"You're Chan?"

In the short time that passed between first learning of Chan's existence and actually seeing him, Minho's mind managed to fill with expectations and fears, all of which shattered right in that moment.

First of all, the guy in the picture had very defined abs and arm muscles, making it seem as if he'd be your average muscle-head, someone who could pull apart limbs off boys like Minho- a description that apparently had nothing in common with the hesitant and awkward person in front of him. Rather, he found that this Chan was a tad shorter than him, barely filling the light gray sweater he threw on.

Secondly, while the photo showed a man with straight dark brown hair, the man in front of him had soft blond curls that seemed so, so fluffy- invoking a primal urge to pet them in, Minho assumed, not only himself, but also every innocent bystander.

Lastly, by the amount of english in his Instagram description, one would expect an obvious accent, but that had been proven false on the phone call anyway. Regardless, Minho imagined a foreigner, so seeing his face up close had been a surprise on its own, especially considering the smile… he was, how would he put it? Cute.

"Yeah! Nice to meet you. I was worrying I'd be early, but it's good to see you are too." Minho could only half process the words, a glance at his phone telling him they both still had around ten minutes before the planned meetup time.

"Right! Right, I wanted to talk to you." Minho started, forcibly clearing his mind of any strange thoughts.

"You said it was about Chelle? I assume you're her new boyfriend?" Chan asked, voice a bit strained.

"No, It's not like that. I wanted to know if you've heard from her for the last couple weeks." Minho replied, quick to correct him so to not make things needlessly awkward. Right, he thought- Chan still might have had something to do with this girl's disappearance.

"Oh, well, I actually hadn't, I try not to do that anymore. We didn't end things on good terms." Chan confessed, picking Minho's interest.

"What happened?" He asked, worries picking back up.

Chan paused. "Are you her friend? This kind of thing is a little personal, I don't want it to affect your friendship."

Minho blinked, thinking up a smaller scale storm. "I live in her neighborhood. We're not very close, but some things happened that made me look for you."

Chan hesitated, saved by the waiter's interruption asking which drinks the two would have. Still suspicious, Minho only ordered a small iced americano, Chan matching with a small iced tea.

"You probably know we dated for around two months, it ended after I found she was cheating for a long time."

Minho's breath hitched, dangerously close to choking on his coffee. "She cheated on you?"

Chan's expression fluttered before he nodded, sheepish smile back on. "Kind of pathetic, isn't it? I couldn't hold her attention. At least, the others didn't know."

Minho gaped, unsure how to handle the new information. Chelle, the girl Ryujin asked him to look for. Was that her true nature? "What do you mean others?"

Chan's embarrassment grew, yet he didn't look away. "We were around.. five, I think.. that I know of. I followed her for a bit."

The awkwardness settled, leaving both speechless.

"Okay, I'm really sorry but I still need to ask you a couple more things." Minho was the first to break the silence.

"Go ahead." Chan smiled in relief.

"Were you mad? Wait, no- Can you think of anyone who could have held a grudge against her? More than, I guess, this."

Chan shook his head. "She's a really nice girl! She has some serious issues, but I liked her a lot at the time."

Minho bit his lip, ready to push on. "Chan, I'm going to be honest with you.. Chelle's been missing for over two weeks now."

If Chan was drinking at the moment, it would have been his turn to choke. "What?" he asked, voice steady.

"I got in touch with you because right now, nobody knows where she is. Or someone does know, but I don't" Minho explained, hoping his message went through alright.

"Are you sure she's not ghosting you? She might be." Chan offered. Minho stiffened. If Chelle was fine, if she was ghosting his sister- there will be hell to pay.

"I don't think so?" he continued anyway.

"I can't remember a specific person who would want to hurt her, but.. God, I'm worried. Chelle's gone? Like, kidnapped or.." Chan paused, taking deep breaths.

"If you have any information on where she could be, it would help a lot. I don't know her well, I'm not sure who else to ask either." Minho added.

"What do you want to know?" Chan asked, worry clouding his face in an unpleasant way. Minho almost felt, scratch that- he did feel really bad for the guy.

"Hangouts, friends, habits, names of other exes- mental state too, it's a little invasive but I can't find her otherwise." Chan stared, eye contact with Minho intensifying as neither averted their gaze.

"Okay." Chan replied after a while. "I don't really know you, but I guess it suits her. If anything happened, I wouldn't expect an officer anyway."

Slightly disturbed, Minho pulled his notes from his bag, offering Chan a big sheet of paper. Just like that, the two had begun- Just as Minho had with Ryujin before.

"I can't help with other Exes, I don't know any of their names. I do know where she hangs out usually." Chan supplied helpfully.

"Chelle, she's very into art. She thinks her art, only hers, is the best of the best. She considers herself an undiscovered gem, that kind of mentality. She'll do anything for exposure, and she likes compliments a lot." Chan bit his lip, pausing in his writing.

"She's not on good terms with her parents, and sometimes I remember, she said she wanted to run away. She has horrible mood swings, but when she's happy she can be the sweetest, most considerate person in the world. I think she had too much love in her, that's why…" Chan trailed off, sighing before shaking his head and writing down some more details.

"I'm not okay with that, you know? It's the worst kind of betrayal, but I'm still so worried. I never wanted anything to happen to her, I don't wish that for anyone." Minho hummed, recalling back on his previous suspicion, how ridiculous it seemed now to think that of this person.

So it went on, the two of them coming up with important details and question marks to jot down. Before they knew it the sky turned dark, an impatient barista politely asking them to leave.

"You have my number, right?" Chan asked.

"I don't." Minho replied, glad Chan remembered. The two exchanged phones, filling in their details with some hesitation.

"Call me if you need anything, or if you find her." Chan added, eyes glinting under the streetlights.

"You too, call me if you remember anything important." Minho replied, parting with a wave goodbye and heading towards the bus station.

It was only on his way back that he recalled their first exchange through the phone, and how stupid it had been to expect anything else from a friend of Felix's, of all people.

Groaning lowly, Minho moved his bag up, staring at the paper pile stuffed inside it neatly. Ahead was, he expected, a night full of reading- all 38 new pages of details about this girl, who he found himself liking less and less with every passing statement.

.

Over an extended time period Minho had found himself visiting many different places to no avail. He tried asking around, dropping Chelle's name here and there for good measures, but it seemed that the girl had vanished into thin air. Her only legacy had been the outrageous rumors surrounding her name, such as dating kids much younger than herself and having sex to get her way in the art world. Really, Minho should have stopped there- he wanted nothing to do with this girl anymore, was happy even; happy that she didn't get to lay her hands on his sister. Yet he couldn't stop thinking, this girl.. She was missing, it was real, and not one soul other than him have made a single attempt to locate her. How could he give up now?

It had been a long day- visiting a bar from the list in the morning before moving to a café nearby and finishing one of his assignments, Minho decided to follow up on Chelle's tracks. Twelve days have passed since his meeting with Chan, and although his anxiety kept getting worse, the list of things to check kept getting shorter with every lead he crossed out.

This one had honestly been a lame lead, but he wanted to make the most out of it- a short trip out of seoul, to a grass patch stretching a couple miles that was similar to the one he saw on her Instagram. If he couldn't find her with anyone's help, he thought- maybe he should try to think like her more. This girl, where would she go? Who would she meet? What would she do? And for that this practice was important, too.

The land stretched, tall grass for as far as the eye could see. He roamed around, looking at the tall buildings that made his home from afar. From here, definitely- he recognized the scenery as the one she drew that time. Stepping back through the grass, it didn't make much of a difference from how far he's already been, but the moment felt special somehow.

Minho breathed in, a strong breeze blowing from the front and carrying the dust and pollution of the city with it. Bad air, even this far back. At least it was silent, no cars, no birds either- it felt peaceful. Minho stepped back again, pulling out his phone, intending to take a photo. A couple more steps back, and he tripped- landing on his butt in the grass.

It was there that he found her.

.

Jisung stretched, back aching after sleeping in so late.

"Good morning, and good luck falling back asleep at a normal hour." Seungmin commented. True that, Jisung managed to mess his sleep schedule pretty badly. Good thing it was friday.

Standing up, he considered responding before giving up and making his way to the kitchen.

"Ji," Seungmin spoke up once more,

"At least brush your teeth. I'm your roommate, not your mom- I shouldn't have to tell you this!" His voice, although annoyed, remained calm. He did have a point.

"Okay mom." Jisung replied, deadpan. Without another word he turned, entering the bathroom and picking up his toothbrush to do as instructed.

Life as an art major was hard- he had so much work to do in little time, and the pressure made it feel a little like a job. Nowadays his minor in music made for the only stress reliever he could put time into without guilt, and he wondered if maybe he should have chosen it for major instead. Useless thinking about it now, anyway.

Jisung went on brushing, releasing a small whine at the thought of his next assignment. Whatever- he rolled his eyes, raising a hand to rub the remains of sleep away.

Tall grass, the clear view of seoul from afar- blurring, moving, fast as if he was struck by lightning.

The toothbrush clinked loudly against the sink as it dropped, leaving Jisung with the reflection of himself in the mirror, left hand raised. He made quick way, spitting the paste and powerwalking back to their room, brushing against Seungmin on his way there.

"Jisung? Jisung, you can't just leave this here." Seungmin bristled, pausing at the sight of Jisung pulling out his sketchbook with the craze of someone going through a revelation.

He sighed, recognizing the scene in front of him. "Inspiration struck?"

Jisung hummed, wiping his mouth and beginning to sketch. This happened every once in a while, it was one of the things that made Jisung… well, Jisung.

"I'll clean up. Should I order takeout?" Seungmin asked, affection sneaking into his voice. He's a bit weird, but sometimes he was cute too.

"Thank you, please." Jisung replied absentmindedly, focused on the paper.

"I will. Okay." Seungmin concluded, fishing his phone out to call his favorite fast food handler.

To them, after all, it was nothing more than an average friday night.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He can, he will, he has to heal.

The streets of Seoul bustled as night fell, clubs and pubs lighting their headlights for the passerby's attention. Not a single soul felt real then- as if it was all nothing more than a scene in the movie. Most importantly he knew, not one person dedicated a thought to Minho at that time.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, he had no urge to cry. The tears ended, they've gone, he was past that. Instead, the shock had settled back in. Even his warm, soft covers and a light breeze from outside couldn't comfort him now. The distant sound of civilization... it all proved no use as he dissociated farther.

Calling the police had been an easy first step, so was giving his account of the incident. No, the hard part came in between.

Laying there waiting for help had been... jarring. Lightly said it was hell; crying, scared and anguished, it hadn't even hit yet that he found what he asked for, have been looking for over the last few weeks. All he knew was that he will never forget the sight, and as the sun went down, he kept his light on; terrified of falling asleep.

Blinking rapidly, even late into the night it hadn't left him. Should he call his old psychiatrist? The hallucinations didn't seem to return despite his distress, at least. No pills kept them away, but they hadn't worsened at all like he feared.

Sitting frozen in place he recounted the voice answering his emergency call, deep and reassuring. The warm hands which pulled him to his feet, the worried gaze of the patrolling officer- a kindhearted man in uniform who hugged and comforted him until he calmed down enough to speak coherently. He remembered the backup call for investigation crew one, staying in the man's hold until others arrived. He remembered a tall man speaking, another squeezing his shoulder and commanding the others.

He remembered the officer taking him to the station, same one who found him in that state, the kind mister Kim- worriedly glancing at him as he drove. The tall one joined them, only ceasing in his stream of questions after a pointed glare from Kim.

"Pill, he's the only witness. There was a corpse out there." The tall man defended, crossing his arms and looking out the window without another word.

Arriving there, Minho was struck by how much he wanted to go home. Not to his apartment, mother or sister, not to anywhere he could set his mind to either, but a home he didn't have, didn't know at that time.

"Come on, lets get you some water." Kim offered, leading Minho inside with a warm hand on his back, not before taking his backpack away and placing it where belongings of suspects went presumably.

"Are you cold?" He asked worriedly, noticing the slight shiver that went through Minho as he sat down.

At his hesitant nod Kim left his side, talking in hushed tones to another worker before returning and ruffling Minho's hair.

"I'm heading back out; someone has to stay on patrol. Jae, be nice." He warned, stepping out of the room.

As he left, the worker from before had entered back in carrying a yellow blanket and a cup, and Minho dully noted that he seemed a few years younger than himself. An intern?

A loud cough brought his attention to who he understood by now was an investigator- the tall guy who joined them in the ride, dubbed Jae by officer Kim.

"Are you okay to start?" he asked.

And so, they did.

Turning his gaze to the window in present day, Minho tried his best to forget the things said at his investigation as it led to farther memories of the incident. Passing his statement had gone fine, leading up to his release. The officer had been kind enough to drive him home without being asked, not wanting him to roam the streets in his shaken-up state. He imagined they would summon him back tomorrow, seeing as he collected a lot of valuable information on Chelle's case over time, but that had been it.

Should he look up cat videos? Minho sniffed, shuffling back till his back hit the wall. A sudden movement made him jump, relaxing immediately when he saw Dori and Soonie both jumped up to check on him.

"I'm okay, don't worry." He lied, wiping at his face with a sleeve.

An unfinished drawing; the field from today, Seoul's towers in the distance.

"…I'm not, I'm not okay." Minho corrected, bitterness filling his mouth.

He jumped up, running to crane over the toilet as nausea hit. He didn't even have any dinner, but his appetite had fled the scene for now, so it didn't matter. First night, it was only the first night- he'll get better for sure, he promised himself. He was only shocked, this can't be the end of normalcy for him. He still had a lot to look forward to, he didn't want this day to scar the rest of his life, wouldn't let it.

For now, he let himself go through it. He didn't even like Chelle, but that never meant he wanted this to happen. What was he expecting, anyway? For her to show up one day, alive and well as if nothing happened? On some level this was inevitable, wasn't it?

Dragging his feet to the kitchen, he fixed himself a glass of water and headed back to bed, where he sat and waited for sunrise. He had a few assignments still due, but he was in no mindset to do those.

Eventually light broke, dark circles evident under Minho's eyes. He got up, picking four of the empty water cups to put away and making some coffee for a change.

It was around seven AM that a knock sounded, alerting Minho who's been nodding off and shaking awake with a shiver every couple of minutes for the past hour and a half.

He stood, head spinning as he opened the door to a policeman he only vaguely recognized as the one left in charge of the scene the day before.

"…Minho, right?" The officer started after a while, undoubtedly noticing Minho's tired eyes and deciding to drop the formalities for the time being.

"I am. You have questions for me?" Minho confirmed, fighting the urge to sigh deeply.

"I do. Would you mind if we head out? I can wait for you to change, if you'd like." The cop asked.

Minho stared, realizing he hadn't changed or washed up over the past 24 hours. In comparison, the cop had been clean shaven- black hair in a pretty cut that ended right over his ears. His eyes, sharp and fox like, seemed to hold just the right amount of chill and wit expected of a detective. Moreover, he seemed a sharp contrast to last night's tall detective wearing round glasses, short blond hair messed by wind and small eyes tired yet warm.

"I'd rather we head out right away." Minho decided, trying his best not to let himself get intimidated. Describing the first detective as tall might have been fair, yet standing next to the seemingly icy man he realized he too had a good eight centimeters on him- he was just built a bit wider.

"Before we go, you said yesterday that you have files with information on the case. I'd like to see those" The man requested. Minho nodded, speeding to his bedside where his bag had been left stranded containing everything he's gathered before he left for yesterday's search.

He blinked hard, hoping to stay alert even at his tired state as he handed over his recent list of loose ends. Despite doing so, he failed to notice the man's impressed gaze scanning over the information. "Let's go." He said eventually, seeming oddly pleased. "Bring the bag with you."

.

The car ride had been silent for a while, Minho struggling to stay awake and missing all the concerned glances the other took in his direction. It was broken, eventually, by an unexpected offer trailing from the driver's side.

"Up for some coffee?" The cop asked, eyes twinkling as a cheeky smile spread across his features. Shocked, Minho nodded and noted over to himself- never judge by first impression. The moment the cop smiled, the ice broke- it was as if all the stars in the universe found a new home in his eyes, lips shaped in a heart.

The cop huffed a laughter, and Minho wondered how that person ever left a cold impression to begin with. "I'm gonna get an iced americano for me, what would you like?"

"The same." Minho said quietly, flustered. The cop hummed, obviously agreeing with that choice before his smile grew even more, a feat Minho hadn't thought was possible.

"Hold on," he instructed, stopping the car near a café and stepping outside. Soon enough he returned, two cups of iced americanos and a small croissant in hand.

"You look tired, some sugar might do you good." He explained, and it turned clear to Minho that he was one kind gesture away from breaking into tears.

"Let's go, I have questions still." Ah, there it was. Alright, fair enough- he might have been playing the role of the good cop, there was no need to take it personally.

.

At the station, Minho was faced with a few familiar faces; The tall blond detective, and the boy who brought him a blanket. Officer Kim, however, was nowhere in sight. Instead, a new addition was some guy seated on a waiting chair meant for fugitives, sleeping with a hand thrown over his face, covered head to toe in blankets and snoring quietly.

"Sit down." The blond detective instructed, pointing with his chin towards the chair he had sat in before, next to an office table with two additional chairs on its inner side. The detective himself had elected to lean against the wall, as if rejecting the idea of sitting next to his partner during this.

"Look at this." The black haired commented lowly, placing the bag they brought in the other's hands before sitting in the chair opposite of Minho.

"Would you like some water?" A voice piped in. Looking to his left, Minho found that it was the boy. Black hair messy, he could now tell for sure he wasn't an employee since he wasn't in uniform, and Minho dumbly recalled that he wasn't wearing it the day former either. Smiling lightly, he shook his head- he still had some of his iced americano left.

"Let's go over these again- You are: Lee Minho, a major in criminology, minors in dance. Twenty-one years old."

"Yes." Minho confirmed confidently.

"Yesterday, late afternoon, you were following Chelle's tracks, a girl who's dated your sister and has gone missing without notice. Attending a location that she had occupied in her last moments according to her Instagram page, you have encountered her corpse. Is that correct?"

"Yes." Minho confirmed, quieter this time.

"Over the passing weeks since her disappearance, you have acquired extensive information on Chelle's life and behavioral patterns, coming to know her well- leading to her discovery."

Minho nodded. Please be done soon…

"This was done under the request of your younger sister, eighteen-year-old Lee Ryujin."

"Almost nineteen." Minho corrected numbly. Her birthday was due next week, so nineteen.

"This is good." The tall detective commented, startling the table's occupants. He handed out the papers, slamming them on the table.

"You were right, Bri. We could use that kind of mindset." He continued, throwing Minho into a state of confusion. What was this about?

A groan behind them made the black-haired detective straighten up, leading to Minho looking behind him as well. "Oh, you're awake?"

The sleeping man stretched, making a few painful sounds and moving his hand away from his face. At the sudden recognition, Minho couldn't help but stare.

"Chan?" he asked, disbelief clear in his tired voice.

"Minho? You’re here too." He noted, taking in where he was as his expression fell horribly.

"We called him in after you went home. You can leave, you know." The tall detective commented in a hard tone, hinting on the fact he had told him this numerous times before.

"I can't go home like this; I need to know what happened." Chan insisted, sitting up and leaning his face into his hands. The image had been devastating, unlike anything Minho expected of Chan's character. At that moment the intern returned, carrying a big cup of nice smelling brown liquid and offering it to the grieving man quietly. As he accepted, the intern sat by him and comfortingly held his hand- a kind gesture, filling Minho with sudden affection towards the boy.

"To be honest, we didn't bring you in for questioning." The dark-haired detective spoke, capturing Minho's attention once more.

"We need people who think like you," he continued, communicating with his partner with his eyes, sending him off somewhere-

"And we were wondering if you would agree to an internship, here, with our team."

Minho perked up, surprised. An internship? What for? Why? And how come?

"We investigate hard cases, where people have gone missing or worse. There are a few other teams, this is response crew one. Generally speaking, we are in charge of district nine as well as that part of Seoul's outskirts."

Minho froze, adrenaline starting to pump through his body. "You want me to investigate missing person cases?"

The detective paused, eyes turning sad. "That might be a bit much at this time. Please consider it."

The blond detective returned, carrying a few files which he offered to Minho. "The terms aren't bad, right Innie?"

Minho turned, making eye contact with the boy. "Pretty good. I don't deal with investigations though; I'd rather make coffee." He added.

Reading his terms, they did seem pretty good. The pay was high, and he was promised to get credited over cases he took part in. As for hours, they seemed to be flexible enough for a college student to partake.

What?

Minho stopped, eyes lifting from the paper. Never in his life did he intend to pursue a career as a police detective, hadn’t considered it seriously even. The offer itself had nothing attractive about it, nothing to aid him in his career path and ultimately-

It meant, what happened yesterday?

That will happen again.

Minho felt himself choking up even as he made an effort to settle his breath. These people expected him, they really thought he could go through it again. It hadn't been a day, and still-

What kind of obscure offer was that?

Minho stood, turning away with the intent of leaving that place for good. From the other side, the detective had sighed. "Could you take the papers with you? Think about it?"

It was then that Minho looked up and saw, Chan had been looking at him all that while. He didn't seem judging or tired, although his eyes were red, they were filled with expectations. It seemed that, without knowing Minho that well, he fully believed the other would take and sign those papers, and it hit him that for Chan he was the only real detective at presence.

Had he not taken that request from Ryujin… he wouldn't have found her. He wouldn't have seen it, he wouldn't, and then...

And then she'd have stayed there.

And no one would have ever found her, because no one was looking. Even if Chan was looking, he never would have found her, because none of the information he gave was what led to her and because Chan was not Minho, didn't think like him.

And that wasn't okay.

"Oh?" The tall detective sounded, pleasantly surprised as Minho sat back down and pulled a pen out of the batch near the computer, neatly signing his name in big letters. If he didn't, he knew it would haunt him forever, the thought that he would have left Chelle to lay in a field if given a chance.

"What can I say kid, welcome to the crew."

.

After that, he had learned the names of all the office workers. The detective in charge; Park Jaehyung or Jae, his partner; called Young K on the field, Kang Younghyun normally and Brian by close friends. Their boss, an impressive man named Park Sungjin, would show up here and there but mostly worked odd hours. The head of the emergency call unit who had coincidentally picked up his call was a shy man named Yoon Dowoon, and head officer Kim- the title had Jae wheezing for air, was normally called Kim Wonpil. The intern, referred to as Innie by the others, stood up and formally introduced himself as Yang Jeongin, grin shining brightly enough to draw everyone's eyes to himself.

"For Chelle's case." Young k spoke up, immediately drawing Chan and Minho's attention.

"We found that she had shot herself. Her parents asked to cremate her as soon as we called, but the forensics team decided to get an autopsy anyway. It seems that the time of death was right around the upload of her last post, which makes it a bit difficult to tell if there is anything more to it. We have no reason to suspect that much, either."

As he went on, Chan covered his mouth, tears beginning to spill from his eyes.

"Some things we found a bit strange, but it could be that a wild animal got to the scene before us. Since the art suggests she went there herself, it isn't too far fetched to assume she went out to die."

Minho stared at the ground, hand lifting to pass his fingers through his hair. "Can I call my sister?"

Young k nodded. "Of course. Go ahead."

Minho fished his phone out, staring at Ryujin's contact. He hadn't found it in him to call her last night, but now that its been confirmed he had no other choice.

"Hello! Oppa? How are you?" Ryujin voice sounded, breaking Minho's heart farther.

"Ryu, where are you?" He asked, skipping formalities.

"I'm at home! Did anything happen?" She asked, concerned.

"Please sit down." Minho instructed, stalling.

"Yes? I'm seated. Are you alright? What's going on?" She asked with slight panic.

"I'm at a police station. I found Chelle yesterday, Ryu, she didn't make it." Minho said, hoping to make the pain quick.

"What? What do you mean she didn't make it?" Ryujin asked, confused.

Young k grimaced, gesturing for Minho to pass him the phone. As he did, he elected not to put her on speaker.

"Ryujin? This is Officer Kang speaking. We regret to inform you that my crew has recovered the body of Chelle, twenty-one-year-old, yesterday during late afternoon."

The cries that followed will remain in Minho's memory for the rest of his life, and suddenly he felt thankful to Young K for letting the memory relate to himself, a cop, rather than Ryujin's brother.

.

The ride back home had been uneventful, Young K deciding to leave Minho be in his fatigued state. By now his head had started to pound, making it clear he wouldn't make another night without sleep.

Frustrated, Minho lifted a hand to rub over his face. There it was: the drawing of the field, now colored more fully. It seemed that this particular hallucination would stay with him a while.

"Are you okay?" Young k asked, worried but not overbearing. No, he wasn't okay- but that was a private issue.

"As okay as I can be." He replied, hoping to end it at that. Young k nodded, full focus back on the road.

.

That night's sleep had been broken, Minho waking up every thirty or less minutes from vivid nightmares he couldn't fight off. By morning it felt as if his head was split in two, and he couldn't imagine attending his classes for the day. Instead he stayed in, arm thrown over his eyes in despair. He will get through this, he better.

Soon, for sure- he will get to sleep. Right?

Deciding to at least fix himself up, Minho stood up and took off his shirt as a start. Walking over to the bathroom sink, he brushed his teeth lazily for a while and checked the dark circles under his eyes. Next, he took his good cleanser and foamed it, spreading it on his face before washing it off. Toweling off the right side of his face, he could read big letters written on a whiteboard.

Example number one: the post-impressionistic art of Vincent Van Gogh

Notable works: Wheat Field With Crows, Starry Night, Sunflower On A Vessel, The Potato Eaters.

Background: Born in 1853, Van Gogh has been traveling for most his life, finding inspiration in different places and subjects. Van Gogh had famously suffered from prolonged psychotic episodes that were reflected heavily in his art, resulting in him taking his own life on 1890.

Minho blinked, faced back with nothing but his reflection. He picked up the dropped towel, a striking thought sending shivers down his spine.

There was no way, was there?

Jogging back to his bedside, he picked up his phone with shaking hands before typing the painter's name into the search bar. Changing his mind, he deleted it- he'd be out of his mind to think that a hallucination of his could be of importance. This was a result of his mind playing tricks, nothing more, and he should remember that. Hold on to reality, don't confuse it with illusion.

The illusions, he thought, might be worsening after all.

Turning back to finish what he started, Minho picked out his contact lens and stripped the rest of the way, stepping into a warm relieving shower. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched- not disturbingly so, but somehow reassuringly. He stared at air, reminding himself that the bathroom had no windows and trying to empty his head.

On the other end of the bathroom, the mirror had fogged up.

When done, Minho threw on a hoodie and joggers, deciding to go on a run despite his exhaustion. Staying here, he though, would do him no good.

It was late noon when his phone rang, Jae calling him up to the station. Everything had progressed so fast, But Minho figured it was a better pace for coping rather than dwelling on each unfortunate development in his life.

Fortunately, he had been near the station at that point, having refused to return to the stifling apartment after his Jog. As he ran there, he was comforted once again by the feeling of normalcy- the couples, children and teenagers roaming the streets with no fear. Soon, he swore. Soon he'll recover and feel as unbothered as they do, as he used to feel.

Once at the station Minho was confused to see Chan once more, seated on the waiting chair as he had last time. Rather than greeting him or even glancing his way at the sound of the door closing, the blond seemed occupied with daydreams. Following his gaze, Minho figured he was probably fixated on nothing in particular, seeing as it fell on the unexciting sight of Jeongin watering some flowerpots by the windowsill.

"Hello to you too." Rang Jae's voice from where he was standing at the start of the corridor. Minho turned, realizing he had completely ignored the man earlier.

"Hello hyung. How are you?" He asked calmly, hoping to sooth the other's anger, that he hadn't realized was non-existent.

"If you talk politely to Jae, he's going to grow a bigger ego." Warned a smooth voice that entered behind Minho, softly closing the door behind him.

"Officer Kim!" Minho called, smiling at the man he recognized as his savior during what was arguably the most scarring experience in his life. At the title the man smiled, and Minho could swear he saw flowers bloom around him for added effect, a bright halo shining around his head like a real-life saint sent by god himself.

"I heard you've joined team one! That's very impressive. I'll have you know they're the best of the best, you can learn a lot by interning here with them. That and I'm glad you seem to be better, I kept worrying about you, you know."

Minho's eyes warmed, turning glossy. That was a very cool thing to say, which was probably what warranted Jae to speak next.

"You say that and then pretend to be some hero. You're just Wonpil, resident snake." He commented, eyes squinting with pretend annoyance. Ah, Minho noted. So, they are friends.

A small rustling of Jeongin squeezing past Jae into the hallway averted Minho's attention back to Chan, who still hadn't spoken a word. Comically, it seemed, his gaze followed the intern.

"Chan?" Minho asked, slight amusement sneaking into his voice. Chan sighed, moving his gaze to the floor. It seemed that he had been quite out of it, and Minho suddenly wondered if Chan had it any better, or if he too was unable to sleep like himself.

"Chan!" he tried again, this time snapping the elder out of his trans.

"Minho? Hello! How long have you been standing there? Hyungs too?" He asked, visibly flustered.

"You'd be surprised." Jae chuckled, quickly correcting himself to lessen the blow,

"Not too long, don't worry. I get like that too when I work."

Chan hummed, marking the end of the discussion. Accepting that fact, Jae had instead picked up his explanation of the relevant topic at hand.

"Chan, since you're here as Dowoon's volunteer, I expect you to take responsibility and show us we can count on your help. You two won't go through the same materials, obviously, since detectives in training don’t correspond with call receptors at all, but since Dowoon is busy I agreed to take you in for the general introduction to the law system. I assume Minho doesn't need this sort of thing?"

Minho shook his head, processing the new information. Then, Chan came to volunteer at the emergency call center? That sounded impressive. As for training, at least, his college classes would be of some use.

"Great. To make a point, I am also busy- and I'm going to be busier with Minho from now on. Please ask Jeongin for help if it's anything basic, he knows his way around better than maybe half the newly hired cops, even if he says he wants no part of it."

After the short disclaimer, Jae made way for a closet at the end of the room. Unlocking it smoothly, he pulled out some neat files to lay on the table. Turning to a shorter cabinet on the other end of the room, he struggled with the lock numbers, eventually asking Wonpil for help. When they did crack it open, it made a rusted sound- creaking and opening painfully with force. Pulling out a thick, heavy book from the bottom, Jae sneezed with feeling- erupting a tall cloud of the dust that gathered on top of it.

"Jesus." He commented, wiping his nose. Figuring out the outcome, Minho stifled a laugh as the taller dumped the dusty book unceremoniously into Chan's arms, causing the other to stagger a bit.

"Good luck." Minho mouthed, earning a nose scrunch in return. It was essential to find pleasure in the little things in life, such as being spared of having to read that monstrous fossil and getting to watch Chan suffer through it instead.

"Get started on that, then. Minho, come take a look." Jae instructed, Wonpil sending Chan a look full of sympathy.

And so, it begun.

.

Over the past week Minho had gotten used to the reduced amount of sleep he was getting, returning to his classes and working as earnestly as ever. After classes ended on some days, he would pay a visit to the station, where training went by surprisingly fast and without an issue. At night, he would still fail to rest for over forty minutes at a time- but that was sure to get better, wasn't it?

Before he knew it, life settled back in a routine.

Entering the office, Minho sighed at the sight of Chan, staring dreamily at Jeongin's back. That weird habit of his had started to turn less spontaneous, everyone noticed- yet collectively decided not to address it. Looking over to Jeongin, the boy had probably noticed as well, judging by the soft blush spreading onto his ears.

"Minho! Good, I have a lot to show you today." Young k welcomed, walking out of the hallway and over to the table they always used. As Minho looked over, he noticed Jae was present as well, although he seemed to be in a sour mood.

"We talked for a while and decided to hand you some cold and ongoing cases to read. Personally I find closed cases a little boring, and we don't want you to try and adopt our own thinking patterns as guidelines -creativity is important, it's why you're here-, so I vetoed we won't give those to you."

Minho nodded, sitting down and accepting the folder Young K offered. "These are some girls and boys who have gone missing, we hadn't found helpful leads on them since."

At the numerous pictures, Minho's anxiety peaked. "So many?" he asked in petrified shock, earning a deeper frown from Jae.

"It's more often than it seems that people are reported missing. A larger number of people we have found successfully, safe and sound, and a smaller number were not as lucky. All in all, we experience many more successful investigations than futile ones, but remember that cold cases gather over time, and some of these are still in the process of investigation."

Minho swallowed, looking over pictures. There was one girl in particular who slightly resembled Ryujin, whose image he had to put away quickly before his mind got to make that into brand new nightmare fuel.

"You don't have to choose by face," Young k intervened, taking away the pictures before farther scarring could be caused.

"We can choose one for you. What do you say?" He offered, looking to Jae at the lack of reply from Minho.

Jae sighed, expression signaling that he was less than pleased to face Minho with the cases, and Minho wondered if he was touchy over sharing what he ultimately failed to crack. After a moment Jae had fixed his attitude, pulling an unusually thick file from the closet and slamming it next to the folder.

"This girl, her case has been cold for four weeks, making eight weeks in total since she had gone missing. If you have any insight on the matter," he paused,

"Please report to me. I've been working on her since the day she went missing."

.

Reading the files for a while, Minho had eventually requested to take them home. At his request, Young K beamed with pride- telling him that of course he could, under the condition that he takes care not to damage them.

That night he had spent reading. Min-ra, seventeen-year-old; no enemies, no behavioral issues, no dating history. A happy girl to all who knew her, confident and comfortable in her own skin. Independent, she would spend some nights attending high school parties and sleeping over with minimal concern from her parents. As such, she hadn't been reported missing until 34 hours of silence.

Minho switched through pictures, saddened at a pretty selfie the girl took by a window and posted online the night before. The view had felt familiar, similar to the one from his own room, and he wondered if she too liked to sit next to her window and watch the cars drive on occasion.

From the window Minho could see a main road, littered with pubs and restaurants whose signs have been lit beautifully in preparation for the night crowd. By whim he had looked up her address- she lived in the other end of the district with both her parents, a little sister and two cats. Relieved, he looked up a map anyway, and quickly noticed a detail that piqued his interest.

Looking at the map, the kid's house was located in a family friendly apartment building block near a wide road that seemed easy to drive on to reach her place. However, said road only split from the main road a considerable distance away from the apartment, and made a few inconvenient twists that could prolong the way for any vehicle by about ten minutes.

Tracing the channels with his fingers, Minho noticed that a straight distance towards the main road led to a convenient bus stop, and immediately concluded that the alleys connecting the two could easily serve as a shortcut. At that realization, Minho's blood froze, and he hoped to be wrong on his developing theory.

A closer look had provided farther support. For a convenient shortcut, a person would have to pass in an alley that went a short distance behind one of the main road's clubs. Breath hitching, Minho threw on a pair of shoes and ran down to start his car, not minding that he was still in sweatpants and a tee, ignoring the fact it had been four AM and that he could possibly be faced with the drunk crowd himself. Blood searing in his ears, he couldn't cease in his movement until he stood there, dark alleys curving into a spot for large waste containers.

Picking his phone, he numbly dialed Jae's number, hoping the other would pick up.

"Minho? Do you have any idea what time it is? What are you doing awake-" Jae ranted, exposing the fact he hasn't been sleeping either.

"Hyung, I'm sorry but, you need to get over here." Minho choked breathlessly. In front of him stood a huge garbage container, filled to the brim with trash that clearly hadn't been vacated for at least two months. The scent coming off the pile had been so horribly and sickingly sweet, that Minho didn't have to guess anymore. To make himself clear, he rephrased: speaking with his shirt over his nose.

"The girl, your cold case- I found her, she died. I texted you the address, so please be quick hyung."

.

Jisung hummed, finishing up a work he had started a week former and signing with a HAN at the edge. Depicting water had always been a bit hard, but the image was so vividly burned into his mind that he couldn't help it. Pastel art of a foggy bathroom mirror showcasing the torso and upward of a showering man, face blurred by steam- it was so beautiful he could cry.

Checking the time, Jisung wasn't even surprised to find that he stayed up till near four AM painting again- that much was normal and happened fairly often. Stretching and rubbing his left eye, he left a trail of color on his cheek at the sudden new imagery of a club at night. Rolling his shoulders, he sighed and set out a new canvas; it's not like he had an intention to sleep tonight anyway.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A break, at last.

"As impressed as I am with you, I think the right thing for now would be to take time off. You can probably tell this had been quite a destructive journey for your mental state." Jae commented.

Now back in the office, the two detectives had stood opposite to Minho with Sungjin and Wonpil supervising from the back of the room.

"I found her though! Her case went cold from how long it's been, and I found her under 24 hours! Now you tell me to take a break?" Minho's voice cracked, almost offended by the idea.

"Minho, we never thought you would find her. Nobody planned to show you a second corpse a week into your training, it's too much." Young k insisted.

In the back of his mind Minho knew he had a point, but he couldn't accept that he'd be put to rest. Not like this, not while the prosecution started working on locating Min-ra's killer.

"I'm involved! I can't stay home and do nothing while they work on this, it's my case." Minho pleaded, only to be met with two pairs of sad eyes. Didn't they get it?

"I understand, I do, but you're still young- these are a lot of horrors for someone to go through before their twenty second birthday." Young k reasoned, hand lifting to Minho's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

"You guys... How do you cope with this job, then? How come you hadn't gone crazy?" Minho asked, now despaired. He made his way to the usual chair- a comforting source of routine in the madness that was going on.

"We have. In case you hadn't noticed, we all are a little crazy around here." Sungjin spoke up, hand smoothing out the stress gathered between his eyes. That might have been a good point too, had Minho known what this team had gone through in the past few years.

"You might think we're toughened up, for me I'm fine as long as I keep god in mind- I remind myself of heaven and hell, so death doesn't scare me anymore, but it still stays with me, so I can't sleep so well." Jae revealed, earning a shocked glance from the younger.

"Me too," Confessed Young K, shocking Minho farther. These guys were professionals... did they really not adjust yet?

"I used to be a cop, in my time- a serial killer went on a spree, and I was the one who always found his victims.

Always, on my shift-"

He paused.

"I kept dreaming of them, waking up in cold sweat with red marks from scratching myself in my sleep.

It got into my head that I had to find the killer to put them at rest. I was denied access to the case though, so I did my digging independently without a team. Sungjin scouted me after I found him, and I kept working since."

A long silence followed, broken when the black-haired detective continued. "It didn't help; finding him, I mean. What helped was doing things, investigating, staying occupied. We're a little similar, I think."

Minho didn't know how to respond, so he didn't. Instead, next it was Wonpil who spoke up.

"Me and Dowoon, we hadn't witnessed as much gore as these two, but we get to face a lot in real time. Back when I started, some people scared me so much I couldn't sleep- Just people, looking in their eyes and knowing they wanted to hurt me, knowing they could, might, and that I was responsible for getting it under control.

I didn't get to shoot anyone; I hope I'll never- but Dowoon did. It's the reason he only deals with phone calls now… he's always been too kind for this job, that softie. He never did anything to deserve his emotional baggage."

Minho sagged. Cops as well, then… if he hadn't signed for the internship, he still might have ended up the same way. The thought was jarring, suggesting something Minho never considered when he picked his ideal career path.

"I have too many stories to tell, you'd probably rather not sit through them all.

I do think, as far-fetched as it might sound to you right now, that you have a spot in this team. Minho, let your sunbaes ease you into this- after that, you can prove yourself as much as you'd like." Sungjin summarized.

Minho let his head hang, struggling to accept that they've all felt the same. Then… there was no getting better, was there? As time went on, the burden only got heavier.

"I will, I'll take a break." He surrendered, leading to Wonpil releasing a sigh of relief and opening the door they had closed earlier for privacy. As he did both eavesdroppers toppled over, landing on the floor with a hard thump. Seeing as Chan was the one on the bottom, he had it a bit worse, softening what could have been a rough fall for the younger.

"You two are insufferable." Minho commented, stifling a chuckle. Paying closer care, he couldn't help a sigh at noticing that, despite the embarrassing situation, the first thing Chan managed to refocus on was the intern atop him whining softly from being startled so bad.

The blond groaned, gently checking the other for injuries. What was it now, had he hit his head when he fell? Did he fail to notice everybody's eyes on him? The excuses have been slowly running out one by one.

"I'm heading home." Minho announced, walking around the two laying on the floor and waving on his way out. This had almost distracted him, but… not really.

From that point onward, it was bound to get worse.

.

"Ryujin? Are You there?"

Minho sat in his car, a light rain shower tapping against all windows as he waited. The month of march has been full of sunshine and clear sky, and so far it seemed april only had those as well- so of course for the weekend of his sister's birthday there had to be a drop of temperature.

Ryujin hummed, sounding bothered. "Oppa, you're calling me now? Last time we talked..." She trailed off. That's right, he should have checked up on her- it was inconsiderate of him, but frankly he didn't know how to broach the topic after telling her the bad news.

"Where are you? Let's talk." He pushed on, intending to apologize in person. That, and make up for all that he should- he's thought up a plan to cheer her up and celebrate her birthday properly.

"Why does it matter? I'm home, it's raining." She replied, voice betraying the fact she was upset, and for a good reason.

"Put on something comfortable and come down, I'm outside." He instructed, a small smile spreading across his face at the sound of her shuffling quickly about her room without hesitation. Five minutes later she was already stuffing her umbrella at the feet of the shotgun's side.

"Oppa!" Ryujin smiled, wrapping her hands around Minho in a hug that said it all; I'm not mad anymore, I missed you, are you okay?

"Put your seatbelt on, we have a reservation to catch." Minho ordered mischievously. That implied he's reserved a table, but to a person who's known him for years growing up, it should be easy enough to tell what he really has in mind. As such Ryujin smiled back, sitting obediently and tacking her belt into place before grabbing his aux from the hatch and playing some music.

When they arrived, the studio was dark. For a platonic date between siblings Minho hadn't bothered to light up candles or scatter flower petals and had instead left the studio as it was. He pulled open the trunk, taking out a short vanilla cake with whipped cream topping that he's bought on the way to Ryujin's.

Covering the cake container with his umbrella, Minho gestured for Ryujin to head in first. She did, stepping into a stairwell that headed up towards the studio he rented. After joining her he struggled with the umbrella and container, trying to pull out the keys he's been given. Eventually he succeeded, making a short happy sound before unlocking the respective door.

Ryujin stepped inside, smiling wide and letting her hands swing about. The sight had been endearing, causing Minho to smile softly. He set down the cake container, placing the cake atop it before laying down himself and crossing his legs. Ryujin sat on the other side, watching him place candles and carefully light them up with a newly purchased lighter he got for the occasion.

"Happy birthday, to my favorite nerd." He congratulated, laughing at her content smile.

"I missed you. I didn't think you would come, but you even prepared all of this... What about college?" Ryujin Interrogated.

"Make a wish first, the wax is melting." Minho avoided neatly. They can talk for a while afterwards.

Ryujin took in a breath, blowing out the candles decisively. "Not telling." She announced before he could ask the usual question.

Minho chuckled, messing his little sister's hair only a little while considering if it'd be too much to sing her happy birthday. Deciding against it, he took out a knife from the container, realizing he forgot napkins. Whatever, it's no mousse. He passed her the knife, watching her cut out a slice and crumble it quite messily as she ate.

"Ryuddaeng," Minho started, tone straightening out. "How have you been?"

Ryujin's smile faded, swallowing what was left of her slice before responding. "I don't know what to say. Everything feels frustratingly normal."

Minho felt relief wash over him at that. "You're sleeping alright? Eating too? How about any birthday plans with friends?"

Ryujin moved her hair behind her ear, uncrossing and then crossing over her legs. "I'm okay, I did cancel my plans with the girls though, it felt disrespectful."

Minho sighed, rolling a shoulder. "You know it had nothing to do with you, the estimated time of death is the last day she was seen, over a month ago."

Ryujin averted her gaze uncomfortably, picking her nails before forcibly setting them behind her. "I didn't know, I don't know anything about what happened, I didn't think you'd know either."

Minho raised a hand to his face, realizing he kept Ryujin in the dark to an unfair extent. "I've been looking, like you asked. I was the one who discovered her, so the police offered me an internship and shared their findings."

Ryujin straightened, interest piqued. "You intern at the police now? Is that okay? Wait, you found her? Yourself, you mean… god."

Minho nodded.

"You're not joking right?" Ryujin asked again, shocked expression turning sad.

"I'm serious. I came to check out a field she drew for her Instagram, right outside seoul. I don't know what I was expecting, I don't think I was ready to actually get somewhere searching for her." Minho added, trying to keep his composure as memories came flooding back. Ryujin rushed over, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He guessed she wasn't expecting it, either.

"After results came in, they ruled it a suicide; she shot herself." He ended, hoping to wrap up the story so that they could lighten up a little. He was startled to feel tears drip down on his neck, figuring he's caused the opposite of his intentions. What for? Chelle was never worth his little sister's tears, she just wasn't.

"That must've been so scary." Ryujin mumbled, and Minho was hit with the realization she was crying for him, rather than her late ex-girlfriend. That made things both better and worse, leaving him lost on how to comfort her.

"Ryujin, I'm fine. I got talked through it by the police team, they calmed me down and fixed me up, I'm as good as new." He promised, petting her hair awkwardly. In truth he wasn't, and they didn't, but she didn't have to know that.

He didn't tell her about Min-ra.

Pointedly didn't about Chelle's cheating, either.

After Ryujin calmed down a little, a small smile showing with lot of effort from Minho's side, the two ate a few more cake slices and stood up. Minho swiped the crumbs to the nearest trash can and plugged his phone to the studio's aux cord, playing a steady beat. "Remember this?"

Ryujin smiled, dancing lightly to show that she does. "Come on! it's a good occasion, let's clear the air." Minho commented, raising the volume and dancing a little on his own, smiling through the mirror at his sister, perfectly coordinated with himself.

Since young both had loved this pastime more than any other hobby, helping them bond and providing good stress relief. When they were dancing, it was as if everything went away: their dad, school, occasional homophobia, bad days and broken hearts. Here they were, pretending to be Chanhyuk and Suhyun, dancing to how people move.

"You're taking it easy on me! I hadn't rusted yet." Ryujin complained as the song came to a stop.

"What are you feeling?" Minho asked, grin spreading across his face. Now they're talking.

"I still have my playlist for these, let's start with Taeyong and Ten." Ryujin suggested, already on her way to fix them up on Min's phone.

"Steamy." He commented with a chuckle, swiftly followed by an "Only if we do good-bye baby too."

Ryujin rolled her eyes. "You're so embarrassing."

"We can try cover hard carry after." He offered.

"Taemin's Move, too! You told me last time you figured out how to do the part we were stuck on, I want to see." She turned, eyes challenging him silently.

"Deal." He assured, recalling his practice with Dahyun of the girl's class, a same age friend who had offered to teach him. At that Ryujin smiled, rushing up to his side for the start of next song.

.

"Jisung! You scared the life out of me!" Seungmin whined, making annoyed motions towards his stubborn roommate who's been up all night as per usual.

"I'm almost done, give me a minute." Jisung assured, knowing that was an obvious lie. This time he hadn't been drawing in the living room or kitchen, but had instead set up his stand in the bathroom, hence scaring sleepy Seungmin on his nightly pee break.

"No, Jisung, you need to go. I need to pee really bad." He insisted, and had he been anything other than upset the crudeness of his own speech would have made him blush. Frustrated Jisung stepped out, carrying his canvas with him.

"I hate anatomy, why do I do this to myself?" He asked aloud, only to be answered grumpily with a "because you religiously draw every single one of your fever dreams, you weirdo." From across-the-door Seungmin. He had a point, too.

Today's painting had been only a sketch for now, something that's been on his mind since an insect of some sort came crashing into his eye at random. The vision of people dancing, beautifully so. Really, he could have been more focused on the vision if he wasn't panicking and batting the thing away, but the thought was enough. He knew for sure his professor would appreciate it as well, since the work of Edgar Degas was included in their future study course.

It was around a week ago that the same professor picked an interest in Jisung's art and asked him if he'd like to have them presented in a proper show, which was the dream of every art student ever.

Of course he agreed, but since then his anxiety kept growing. He knew he was good, he loved his own art dearly, but he wouldn't know what to do if others did not.

Rather than letting it eat him up, he decided to push forward with all his might, doing his absolute best for every new piece he wanted to enter.

So far, he had drawn almost seven out of ten pieces for the show: A tall grass field, a city view through a window, an iced coffee cup, a drawing of a park and a drawing of a cat- although that one might not be good enough to show. After that came a short block, and then he drew the club scene, and then today he started on the dancers. As for the showering man, he considered it shortly, only to decide it felt way too intimate to showcase.

Jisung hadn't considered himself a landscape artist, but by what he's been inspired to paint lately, that might have been the direction his mind wanted to go.

More than that, Jisung always drew mundane small things that made life unique in his eyes, and although he couldn't find himself excited at his own cups of coffee without context, there was something about those moments specifically that made him feel like they were meant to be cherished.

"Okay, I'm done. You can have the mirror back now." Seungmin informed, having caught on to the reason Jisung has been drawing in the restroom to begin with.

"Sleep well Seungmin-ah" Jisung wished affectionately, quietly cooing at his sleepy roommate as he made his way back to bed and flopped down.

Although Jisung was the night owl, Seungmin often had stress keep him up, then the next day he'd be extra exhausted and ready for sleep. Today seemed to be one of those days, judging by his friend's unmoving figure so soon after collapsing in bed.

He couldn't help but admire him. The two have been sharing a room for give or take a year of college, and have known each other since high school by chance. Seungmin was taking up animal science as major, claiming he was attracted to the idea of a straightforwardly good profession such as veterinary medicine. Not only that, but he also minored in photography, making him stand out from the other nerds in Jisung's eyes.

While the two came in contrast with each other in many ways such as; how neat they were, their favorite subjects, favorite creative outlets, how they got down to studying and the way they dealt with stress, they both found enough in common to bond over easily.

They both liked the same music, found the same things pretty or gross, both liked to capture and preserve chosen memories in their own way, and most importantly they were both caring and tended to each other's needs. The result was, expectedly, a strong friendship that grew almost immediately after moving in.

Focusing back on his work, Jisung's mind wondered with some three AM thoughts. How much different will their lives turn out? A vet and an artist, in college they may live together well, but years will tell of the gap between the two.

Life had a way of doing that, tying different people together naturally or forcibly. How many chances will he get to befriend someone like Seungmin? And just how many unlikely things like it are left for him to experience?

Although he believed himself to be highly likable, Jisung didn't have many friends in college, only Seungmin and Changbin from his minor. It's been different in high school, but in college being an introvert really took its toll, isolating Jisung until he felt too late to join the already formed friend groups all around him. That's fine, he assured himself- his art, what mattered most to him, at least he still had that. When he was drawing, he never seemed to get lonely.

Closing his eyes, he recalled again the dancers; a boy and a girl. Should he attempt a new concept? If the boy was the moon, the girl was a star. Their poses suggested they were close friends rather than coworkers, and Jisung wondered if boosting their contrasts would add or take from that fact.

For some reason, his instinct told him to shine more light on the boy, and he only half frowned when he realized he's been putting so much more effort into him rather than splitting it equally. Alright, he reasoned. Let's not do that, brain.

He sighed quietly, looking to where his finished pieces were laying against the wall in a stack. Should he pay a visit to the dance majors in his college? The thought made him anxious. No, he'd rather stay inside- he could look up references if he wanted. Lightly slapping his cheeks, he turned back and continued his work in silence.

.

Minho spun, goofing around rather than practicing a specific choreo. At the corner of his eye he could see Hyunjin doing something similar, half clinging to Felix at the other's laughter.

"Hyung!" Felix called him over, worry ghosting over his face for a moment as if he noticed something was off. Minho smiled uneasily, walking over to the two. What was it?

"Did you sleep well? You seem tired, you have bags under your eyes." Felix questioned, cupping Minho's face with both hands. Minho pursed his lips, causing Felix to let him go with an eyeroll.

"I'm fine, I just have a lot of work. I'm jealous sometimes- I wish I majored in dancing, then at least I'd be stressed about something I like."

Hyunjin made a face, almost offended that Minho made their lives sound like a dream when in truth the two dance majors were working long and hard hours just as he did. "Change your major then." He challenged.

"I can't do that." Minho sighed for the hundredth time. It was clear to him that his mother would fund whatever he set out to do, but he never felt comfortable relying on her, they didn't know each other well enough- a strange thing to say about one's mother. No, he decided years ago already, he wants to make a living for himself without her support.

"I got an internship too." Minho added, using his bragging rights for once after refusing to do so in front of Ryujin.

"You did? Where?" Hyunjin asked, offense long forgotten or at least bottled down to where it won't bother him. If Minho got something cool going for himself, then what's there not to support?

"In the district nine police station, I'm working with the detectives there." Minho dropped the information as if it wasn't a big deal. He knew it was, but after the things he's been through it seemed more like a curse than a blessing- not that they needed to know that.

"Oh right!" Felix called, tone raising with a smile spread across his face. "Chan-hyung told me you were working with him! You two are interns then? I thought he was doing volunteer work." Minho paused, reminding himself that Felix and Chan did in fact know each other quite well.

"He's volunteering at the emergency call center; I intern with the investigator team. It's a bit different, but we do work in the same office block." He explained, noting with slight fright the ray of sparks flying from both his friends' eyes.

"That's so cool! It's like you're a movie star!" Hyunjin hyped, the other nodding furiously.

Minho reached to rub his neck, pulling the hat of his hoodie over his head to relieve his fluster. "I'm still new, I don't know anything." He lied, wishing he could be praised for something good like his hair, his face or his dancing… not like this.

"We can say we danced with a detective like Sherlock Holmes." Felix added, clinging onto Hyunjin's shoulder with the other instinctively reciprocating the affection. Obviously he was blowing things out of proportion, but they both tended to be overly supportive of Minho in everything he did.

Minho hummed, hoping they'd cool off after a moment.

The dance instructor entered, giving them a once over before calling for the rest of the class members' attention.

As embarrassing as it was, Minho Felix and Hyunjin were all sophomores despite their age gap due to the fact Minho spent a little over a year working and saving money to fund himself, while the two of them enrolled immediately after high school.

Normally he shouldn't have been allowed in the majors' class at all, but it was the minor's squad instructor's call at the time to up his studies, which led to his current instructor always keeping an eye out for every flaw and mistake that could justify kicking him out.

Unfortunately for him, Minho's spot was well deserved.

Calling him out for demonstration, the instructor asked him to dance what their class had practiced last time, which was four days earlier. Relying on his fogged-up memory from before the Min-ra incident, he still managed to execute it perfectly, mentally patting his own shoulder in pride.

"Okay." The instructor went on, not finding any particular flaws to pick on this time around, yet infinitely patient for them to show up sooner or later. "Let's begin."

.

"Minho-hyung! Are you up for ice cream?" Felix's voice sounded not thirty seconds after the instructor dismissed them. Minho turned, drying his hair with a towel. He had a gap in his class schedule of forty-five minutes, which meant he probably could take the younger up on that offer even after a quick shower.

"Sure. Hyunjin too?" Minho asked, making eye contact with the friend in question.

"Yeah." Hyunjin smiled before making his way to the shower room.

After they were clean, the three headed to an old ice cream place that had survived impressively in that spot for at least ten years. Ordering three cones of a combination they all love; strawberry vanilla, they left the place with a feeling of satisfaction at treating themselves for a change. For Minho especially, a treat was a good call during the week he was supposed to recover in.

He only managed five or so well-earned licks though, before he felt an itch at his right eye. He groaned, signaling the others to halt in their walk for him to rub the dirt out real quick.

Art, multiple pieces spread across the floor. One of the field, another of the club- a third one of a park, an iced coffee and a city view that seemed eerily familiar. Minho froze, unmoving. The common interest was clear: they were all signed HAN.

The sound of Felix and Hyunjin screaming in unison brought Minho back to reality, lowering his hand and realizing to his misery that he dropped his cone of ice cream. Felix passed his cone to Hyunjin before wrapping his hands around Minho and patting his back gently, an attempt to comfort his friend over the loss of vanilla-strawberry ice cream rip. Minho could swear he was crying a little, too.

"Felix, Felix I'm fine." Minho attempted, glancing over to where Hyunjin was standing, eyes teary and sniffing heavily. Oh for fuck's sake.

"It's just ice cream! I can go get a new one." He added, although he had no such intention.

"But you're broke." Felix sniffed, tightening his hold. Minho's lower lip trembled. That's true, he is broke.

"It's okay, don't worry, I don't need it. I'm good." He lied.

"You can have mine." Hyunjin offered, wiping his eyes awkwardly on his forearm since he was still carrying both cones.

"Really?" Minho asked, touched. That meant a lot, coming from Hyunjin. All three of them needed this treat after feeling so stressed for a long time…

"I'll remember this." Minho promised, Felix taking his que to let go so he could take Hyunjin up on his offer. Under different circumstances he might have declined, but he had his class on white collar crime in less than fifteen minutes.

Hyunjin took one last lick before longingly passing his ice cream to his friend. "Make sure to hold it well." He requested, giving Felix's cone back to him as well and pulling out his phone to check the time.

"Yongbok, we have to go; theory's at the other building." He informed, pulling Felix to him before pushing him towards the right direction.

"Bye hyung!" he called, Felix waving with considerably less enthusiasm at the prospect of dance theory.

Walking toward his lecture hall, Minho entertained the thought that maybe his hallucination was an attempt made by his subconsciousness to divert his attention towards anything of actual importance. Following the thought, he decided a small checkup wouldn't hurt. Sure, there were plenty of Hans, it was a common surname- but maybe if he searched for Han artists in his area, he could narrow it down to a list. Why artists? Regrettably, only for the sake of the context the name was brought in.

Looking up the name on google under his table with one hand, Minho made use of his ambidextrousness to write down the list of Han artists from district nine. After farther thought, he expanded the search to include Hans in his living area around the college and from around Min-Ra's home. If he was lucky, he wouldn't have to include all of seoul.

Narrowing it down to two artists, Minho found that neither of them drew in the style he saw. Was he overdoing it? And just what was he searching for, anyway?

Annoyed, Minho typed down "art signed HAN, seoul", and hit a tumblr account for first result. That couldn't be a reliable source, and yet he entered in search of anything useful.

The url read hansquirrelart, which was only somewhat promising. Reading the description, Minho could tell why google directed him there.

"Han Jisung, 00', seoul." He read, assuming this couldn't be the guy he's looking for, since the world of a nineteen or twenty-year-old squirrel aesthetic art blogger wouldn't seem to have any overlap with Minho's. However, since Minho himself had no idea of what he was expecting from his search, he scrolled down a bit to see the content. After a few memes, a first art piece showed, marked big and red with "WIP".

Minho's blood froze, recognizing the style of the drawing. The caption read "Peek of my recent classwork, might not finish. Not very into this one." And the end was signed clearly with HAN, the same way the works he hallucinated were.

Now driven, Minho followed links from the tumblr to a similar twitter and Instagram that wasn't private, all under the same name. "Guess what?? Ya boy got a spot in an art show this saturday!! Come see me, everyone's invited :D" read a recent post. Minho jotted down the details before moving to the Instagram, breath hitching as he saw a picture of a guy with his face crossed out by a filter. Despite everything, he seemed oddly compelling.

"Mind sharing these notes with the class?" Called the professor, upset at the sight of Minho furiously writing what seemed to be minor details while others listened.

"Ah? No, I'm sorry." Minho apologized, quickly turning off his phone and throwing it in his bag with the resolution to continue later. For now he should focus on passing his classes.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some information about body decomposition is discussed in-chapter, as well as other gross details relating to Min-ra's death. It's nothing graphic, but talking about it is key for this fic so if you can't deal with anything like that i'm really sowwy ;w; I can't help it :( I can't make it all sunshine and butterflies it's a murder mystery.  
> To those who stay (lol) I love you and also enjoy your reading!  
> Today we meet Jisung!!

Minho took a deep breath, nervously pulling on loose strings from his sweater.

"Stop that, you'll unravel it." Hyunjin commented, pulling Minho's hand away. This caused his nerves to spike, and he wondered again if maybe he shouldn't have brought Hyunjin with him. If Jisung was dangerous, perhaps he could target him and his friends next.

Shoving the thought aside, Minho reminded himself that none of it mattered since Hyunjin was already there and intrigued. It was only the two of them, Felix had other plans that day- and Minho made yet another mental note to treat Hyunjin later for being so good to him and following through with even this sort of odd whim.

Hyunjin pushed the big doors open, gesturing for Minho to follow. The doors led to an indoors balcony with stairs to the side of it, the view allowing Minho to scan the entire exhibition.

As he did, his gaze magnetized to a person out back, one who seemed eerily familiar even from afar.

His breath hitched.

.

Jisung smiled, animatedly explaining to Changbin about the details of his latest piece. He worked so hard for this, and finally people could see it! Changbin on his end seemed only as interested as a dedicated friend would be, which made sense for a music production major who so happened to be the artist's best friend.

Seungmin sighed quietly, hoping not to offend Jisung by letting his boredom show. He's seen it all before, and besides- if he wasn't going to buy the art, all he was here for was moral, like a cheerleader.

Jisung pointed at a part of one drawing, making hand gestures and exaggerating in his tale of the work he had to invest, although not by much.

His explanation came to a graduate stop as he felt eyes on his back, noticing Changbin and Seungmin were also glancing behind him confusedly. He turned, a sigh immediately leaving his lips.

The room, previously full of the sound of hushed speech, turned completely silent. The walls blurred, time freezing as Jisung made eye contact with the boy standing up on the terrace.

Dark brown eyes, warm and familiar looked back at him like they belonged there. Not a pin dropped, static filled the air- Jisung could hear it, like a lightning crackling or a door sliding into place with a click. His stomach flipped and he couldn't breathe, small explosions unbearably warm in his chest; he couldn't look away if he tried.

He was so beautiful, so much Jisung's type that he hadn't known existed, that he couldn't move or speak of his own will, and didn't actually want to; this felt precious, as if every second of eye contact was earned with blood, sweat and tears. What was it? What in the world was coming over him to make him stare like an idiot?

"Jisung!" Seungmin shook his shoulders, snapping Jisung to look at him, still speechless.

"Jisung, what the hell?" He asked, genuinely worried Jisung might've been going through some medical emergency like a heart attack or a stroke. Jisung blinked, mouthing half a question before he managed to stutter it out.

"Seu-Seung-minnie, who, who is that? Who is that person?" He choked out, eyes immediately shooting back to look for the stranger, met with the sight of his just as breathtaking back.

"Jisung, I'm genuinely worried, please tell me you’re okay!" Seungmin demanded, and Jisung noticed suddenly that he and Changbin were both looking at him with fright. The noise and background came flooding back, moment ending and sending him back to reality like a cold shower.

"I'm okay. I feel fine, I was just very surprised. Guys, who is this? Please tell me you know him." Jisung begged, resulting in both his friends' exasperation.

"Why is that so important? Did you really get all creepy over a guy? Jisung, that's so unlike you." Seungmin scolded, but Jisung couldn't find it in him to care.

"That's my soulmate, Seungminnie. Once I meet him, we're going to love for the rest of our lives." Jisung stated, a hard-built intuitive fact that left his lips naturally and without thought.

"What are you talking about? Let’s go have you looked at." Seungmin insisted, Changbin aiding him in dragging Jisung out of the exhibition and to the parking lot where they left their car.

"Guys, stop. I can't go, I need to talk to him!" Jisung insisted, tearing himself away of their grasp. "You don't get it."

Changbin nodded worriedly. "We absolutely do not get it. Ji, something is terribly wrong with you."

Jisung glared at him, offended. "I'm heading back." He announced calmly, turning on his heel and returning to the building.

.

Minho stood on the terrace, eyes unmoving from the blond boy. When he turned all sounds tuned out from his ears, and he couldn't tell if his heart was racing in a good or terrible way.

When their eyes met, it felt like his chest heated up so badly it warmed the air around it. His breathing became irregular, air tasting sweet like iron and blood, and he couldn't form a thought coherent enough to put the sight into words.

Had he been able, he probably would have described him as sunshine, any word used to explain love and happiness to someone who never felt them before. Nothing could ever compare.

He was looking back, and even from that distance Minho could tell he was special in a sense he's never used for anyone before, hadn't considered. He was looking back at him with those eyes that were big and adorable, and Minho's arms felt weak- goosebumps ran, he lost his composure. Then the other wasn't looking anymore; the guy was shaking him, making Minho irrationally mad. He almost made a noise then, when Hyunjin spoke at his side.

"Oh, he really is kinda cute."

Minho froze, glancing from Hyunjin to the boy and back as if he was crazy. "Why would you say that?!"

Hyunjin pulled his shoulders, unbothered. "Not your type? You were staring", He pointed.

Minho swallowed hard, unable to understand himself. His fists clenched and unclenched, lost and upset for no reason at all.

"You're here with me, don't get distracted." He demanded angrily.

"Speak for yourself." Hyunjin looked at him weird, eventually rolling his eyes and heading down the stairs. Minho stayed in place, a short beat passing before he was able to snap out and follow his friend. That was odd, a memorable experience for sure.

They were looking at a piece, Minho's head busy with thoughts of how to find the artist he's after when his attention was called for.

"Excuse me?" A voice rose, causing him to turn around only to be faced with the same guy from earlier. Minho's heart skipped, pupils extending involuntarily as he stared shamelessly and uncontrollably at the stranger.

"What's your name?" The boy asked. His voice was soft, front teeth showing as he spoke before his mouth stretched into a heart shaped smile that could have tipped to nervous if he was talking to anyone else in the world.

Minho gaped, caught horribly off guard. Could nobody see it? The guy was practically glowing with warmth, like some sort of person catnip.

"I'm Minho." He replied after a beat, feeling strangely like he's clicked into place after being lost a long time.

"Minho." The boy repeated, visibly star struck. "I'm Jisung."

Minho's smile dropped, feeling as if a glass wall shattered between them. No, it couldn't possibly be, Jisung was a common name like Minho's own.

"You don't happen to be Han, do you? The artist." He asked anyway, feeling his heart drop sixty feet as the other's smile widened. Suddenly he was freezing, body aching and goosebumps running all over.

"I am! You know me? Did you see my art before?" His excitement was so obvious, it would have warmed his heart if Minho wasn't struck by immense existential fear. This is him? He is real, live and well.

Hyunjin said something, earning a glance from Jisung who nodded happily and took Minho's hand in his to lead somewhere, third wheel in toe.

"This section is mine." He said, gesturing at the art presented on the walls. Minho stared, panicking at the familiar scene of the tall grass field. This would be a horrible time to get flashbacks, a horrible time for a panic attack.

"Minho?" Jisung asked, worried. Minho snatched his hand away, sights of jellified blood and rotten flesh crossing his mind. His vision blurred, turning to Jisung and taking steps back in fright. Who was he? What did he do there?

"Where did you take this from?" Minho choked, breath making soft pitchy noises.

"…I made it up. It's mine." Jisung replied, slightly defensive.

Minho slacked. He turned around, facing the nightclub piece. "Have you been there?" he asked, tone overly serious.

"I haven't, I made that place up." Jisung replied. It seemed frank, if not for the fact that Minho clearly recognized the place as real. Minho breathed in slowly and exhaled through his nose, calming down before looking at Jisung again.

What could it be? Was he a photographer, or someone with accessibility to police photographs? And were there even any photos of scenery like this in the case files? It seemed like a horribly irrelevant picture to take at a crime scene.

Another possibility would be that he learned of the cases and visited, but why would he lie? He could not make this up.

What in the world…?

"Hey, if you don't like them that's fine, I'm sorry I dragged you over." Jisung mumbled, tone betraying some level of devastation.

"I think it's pretty great. You did a good job on these, there's a lot of attention to detail." Hyunjin commented. Jisung glanced over, not comforted in the slightest.

"There are some mistakes, but it's done well." He continued, drawing an annoyed expression from the shorter boy.

Minho felt himself going through several breakdowns as the two bickered behind him. Apparently Jisung wasn't receptive to critic from dancers, although Hyunjin claimed he was only stating what anyone could tell.

"They're pretty, I'm sorry." Minho apologized eventually; voice leveled. Jisung turned, making eye contact again and Minho felt warm, like his apology's accepted and of course, if it's him it was okay from the start.

The warmth was quickly overridden by the thought that this person was likely not who he made himself out to be. There was no other explanation for the art, making things suspicious when they had no reason to be.

He briefly considered mentioning that he's an investigator to make Jisung confess, when it crossed his mind that the boy could easily be involved in a worse way than simply messing with police documentation.

What?

Not a chance, what a ridiculous suggestion! One look would tell that Jisung was nobody who could be involved in these cases. Besides, Chelle's case was a suicide, there was no place for foul play.

Calmed down, Minho attempted a smile, a task that proved itself easier than predicted when looking at Jisung. He ignored the fact, scolding himself with the reminder that whichever way, the art was criminal- he had no right to use police documentation.

"Are you sure you hadn't used photos? They seem so real." He attempted. Jisung smiled, shining brightly and nearly driving the older into a heart attack at his fragile state of mind.

"Nope. They're all from right here. I'm good at details." He replied with a finger pointing at his head, side glancing at Hyunjin who was now pouting at them both. A beat later, Minho decided to add another question.

"Do you happen to be a fan of gore and such?" he hoped the question wasn't too much. Hyunjin scrunched his nose, confused. Jisung on his end made a strange expression, that could be read as confusion or deep thought.

"I don't like it, I get scared easily. Are you?" He asked back, unease sneaking into his voice.

"I like it, it helps me de-stress." Minho replied, which usually was true, but not as of late. He guessed, if Jisung didn't like horror, he couldn't be a weird enthusiast either.

"Do you want to catch a movie sometime?"

Minho snapped out of his train of thought, startled by the new topic. Eye contact with Jisung revealed a high level of enthusiasm oozing off the boy in waves, and it clicked to him that it seemed like a natural leading question to his previous one.

"I don't have a lot of free time, college and all." Minho attempted, the excuse coming off as weak to his own ears.

"Oh? What do you do?" Jisung asked, eyes still sparkling as if shined on by a personal stage light.

Minho hesitated, panicking a little at the thought of revealing himself as a criminology major. Lucky for him Hyunjin intervened, laying out a limb when he said "I'm a dance major, Minho studies that too."

Hyunjin turned his eyes to Minho, expecting him to continue and add his major, but on his end Minho was fully intent on leaving it be. "You're an art major? I mean, obviously." He diverted, drowning in the shower of smiles he was given.

"I am. How about you give me your number and we can work out that movie sometime?" Jisung offered, hopeful.

Minho fought back a wince, excuses running through his mind. Hyunjin stepped closer, pouting as he rested his elbow over Minho's shoulder.

"Am I excluded from this?" He asked with offense. Minho turned to look at him, completely missing the hurt look on Jisung's face.

"No, you're always invited! Of course." And just like that, Hyunjin's pout turned to a smile.

"Great." He said, turning to pull his phone out of his pocket. Minho's anxiety spiked, realizing he was handing it to Jisung.

"Ah… call me?" Jisung asked carefully.

"Sure." Hyunjin winked, Minho's lips tightening into a thin line.

"Well… I think I should probably go, my friends left already so," Jisung said, handing Hyunjin's phone back with his information.

"Bye~" Hyunjin waved, smiling at the boy's retreating back.

Minho exhaled deeply as they walked away as well, clinging onto Hyunjin's side.

"What happened to you just now? I don't think I've seen you this anxious since your first time on stage." Hyunjin noted, smile melting off.

So it was obvious then, Minho figured. He couldn't find it in him to be grateful to Hyunjin, even with all the great saves he's performed for his sake in the exchange.

"Do you like him or not? I really couldn't tell." Hyunjin asked, realizing his previous question will be left unanswered.

"I don't like him." Minho clarified, aware that it was nothing short of a big fat lie. However, no matter what he felt he couldn't rest easy, and surely he wanted nothing more to do with whatever illegal business Jisung was into.

"Are you sure?" Hyunjin persisted. He hesitated for a moment before proceeding; "Minho, you know that I," a pause.

Minho blinked, confused by Hyunjin's sudden nervousness. "You what?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"Nevermind. Please bear with me." Hyunjin answered, detaching from Minho and walking to the shotgun's side.

"Okay." Minho replied simply, unlocking his car and sliding into the driver's seat.

.

Minho opened the door to the office, looking around and nodding at Jeongin before turning slightly to nod to Chan too at his greeting of "What's up?"

"Back already?" Jae asked from the other side of the room, smiling lightly.

Minho sighed with a smile, instantly walking over to take his usual seat. "It's been a week, hasn't it?"

"How punctual of you. You're probably expecting updates on Min-ra?" Jae asked rhetorically, turning to take a file from the closet.

"Where's Young K?" Minho asked, not excited per se, more eager than anything else.

"He's busy, Dowoon called an emergency in. It's nothing bad, but I'm glad you'll be here to see it." Jae filled, file in hand now.

"Hold on. Chan, you probably shouldn't be here for this, I'll be showing Minho classified details." He informed, Chan tapping on his thigh in thought.

"I have, wait, it was here." Chan answered, quickly checking his pockets and pulling out a mess of tangled headphones.

"That's fine." Jae agreed, waiting patiently as Chan frantically struggled to untangle them.

Jeongin stepped forward, gently taking the headphones from Chan's stumbling hands. He took a moment to pull the strings apart without damaging them, eventually plugging the end into Chan's phone on the next chair over and pressing the beads back in his hand.

"Thank you." Chan mouthed gratefully, placing them in his ears and pressing play.

Minho squinted, focus back on the file in Jae's hands. He didn't miss, however, the lingering stares Chan was sending towards the younger.

"Anyway, look." Jae resumed, opening the case file on the table in front of Minho, presence towering over his shoulder.

"Min-ra was taking the shortcut here, as you thought, when she got assaulted by what is assumed to be a drunken person from the nearby club."

Minho looked up, making eye contact with Jae. "They hadn't found the killer?"

Jae hummed. "When she was recovered, the body was already unrecognizable. You know the stages of decomposition?

Minho nodded a negative.

"I'll give you reading materials on it later. To sum things up, there are five stages for a body: fresh, bloated, decaying, in advanced decay and as skeletal remains. Two months in the open are borderline fifth stage, but some things stay behind. For all DNA identification is concerned, bones are fine too."

Minho nodded slowly, feeling sick.

"Since the sick piece of shit threw the body in the trash, it decomposed a little quicker too. It's unclear what the cause of death was, in the sense of what exactly happened, but the clothes around her had telling blood stains. It's obvious someone hurt her, more than just disposing of the remains."

Jae paused, knuckles turning white on the end of the table.

He straightened, walking over to the other side of the table and sitting down resting his head on a hand. They took a moment, basking in the memory of the girl neither knew alive.

"The body had some trash bags thrown over it, then a bunch of empty beer bottles, and usually that would provide with good samples, but the bottles all had different people's DNA on them.

The prosecution called in about twenty people, but nothing helped narrow it down; they couldn't even decide if it was a single person's work or multiple, if the beer bottles were thrown in right after or a while later by people who didn't notice, if the killer even threw his own in there… no leads there.

She had a bus receipt in her jacket, which helps point to her estimated time of death, but clubs don't document the people who come and go.

As for enemies, we worked on that together already. Most likely this was a spontaneous killing by some drunk person who didn't know Min-ra."

Minho shrunk in his seat, realizing Jae had nothing more to tell him. That was the end of it, no resolve, no prosecution, just… unsolved. It didn't sit with him at all, an innocent seventeen-year-old gets murdered and that's the best they can do for her? Is that really it, can they leave it like that?

"Before you start chewing yourself up, know that you've done a very good job, Minho. Right now this case isn't ours anymore, we can't push on even if we wanted to because we aren't prosecutors,

But between not knowing anything and knowing what we do now there is a huge difference. Look, her parents finally got to say goodbye. They're having a funeral held for her, she'll get buried somewhere respectful and rest in peace.

You've done that, you made that difference. We're all so proud of you, even if it didn't have a satisfying ending- you did the best you could, and in the future I know I can count on you too."

Jae paused, taking a deep breath before proceeding.

"Most importantly, I know if I had you working on that file with me months ago, you could have caught that person, you would have found her fast enough to pick up their trail. Having you around assures me, I feel like I will grow to count on you."

Minho stared, unsure how to take that compliment.

"I should have recorded you say that." Jeongin commented, crossing the room with a plate carrying multiple warm drinks for the team.

"I'm never saying it again, god. That was so cheesy." Jae agonized.

Minho huffed, tension breaking. He gazed to Jae, hoping his eyes carried his gratitude without having to express it out loud.

Jae nodded, signaling it did. He then thanked Jeongin, taking a sip from his coffee. Minho did as well, tuning out the voice of Chan asking why he got tea again and Jeongin insisting he couldn't possibly support his will to consume more caffeine than two missing person case investigators.

The four straightened as the door opened loudly, revealing Wonpil alongside a shorter, unfamiliar girl. The girl seemed resolved, wrapped up in a blanket too thin to be for warmth. Her hair was straight and black, tussled a little as if she fought her way out of some situation, and she had a visible red bruise on her chin. Taking her appearance in, Minho was oddly reminded of himself when he first entered the station.

"Would you like some water?" Wonpil asked, question familiar. The girl looked up, eyes baring into all the men in the office.

"Oh god, guys, can you make some space? I'm sorry if we intimidated you." The officer added, quickly assessing the situation.

"It's fine, I'm alright." The girl said in a calm tone, a stark contrast to how Minho expected her to sound.

"Would you like hot cocoa?" Jeongin asked, the girl sending him a warm smile for yes. As he left, Minho almost missed how Chan's eyes were on him, again.

"Wonpil, is this her?" Jae asked slowly, taking the girl's appearance in as well.

"Hwang Yeji." The girl answered herself, trying to put her hair into a high ponytail before realizing she didn't have a rubber band with her and letting it fall back down- All of a sudden, Minho knew exactly who she was.

"It's kind of embarrassing being stared at, can you start questioning me instead?" Yeji asked, looking to Minho who wordlessly got up and gestured towards the chair he was just occupying.

She took the chair, nervously fixing her hair behind her ears. "Actually, I want to call my dad." She said, accepting the hot cocoa from Jeongin and making straight eye contact with Jae.

"Sure you can!" Wonpil intervened, handing Yeji his own phone to use.

Minho turned away, intent on giving the girl her privacy. Instead he stepped to Jae, talking in low voices. "Isn't she one of the missing persons? From the batch you've shown me before, when you gave me Min-ra's case."

Jae nodded; eyes gleaming. "She was kidnapped and held in an apartment building a few kilometres from here. Somehow she got away, took the elevator down and made it to a main road. She called us herself from a passerby's phone."

"It was pretty hard to do." Yeji added before returning to her call, Causing Minho to fluster a bit at being caught, while Jae just stared.

"Is Brian still out?" he asked Wonpil who nodded.

"He's with the cruiser, they won't go off the main road for now but just in case someone appears looking for her, he wanted to be the one ready with handcuffs."

Jae hummed, looking at Yeji for a moment longer before disappearing into Dowoon's section, reappearing a few minutes later with a thick hairband.

Yeji took the band, smiling gratefully as she tied up her hair, phone squished between her shoulder and ear.

"My dad should be here in ten." She ended the call, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Do you need me to ask questions, or are you ready to tell your story yourself?" Jae asked, straight to the point as always.

"I had a stalker. I reported to you guys, but it kinda just fell through? I'm pretty tough so I thought, whatever. Then one day, was it tuesday? I got my groceries and the next thing I know, some guy decks me.

I couldn't see anything very well after that, but I remember it was definitely a guy, and that we fought pretty hard. I left at least some bite marks on him, it was horrible."

Minho stared, not disbelieving but more stunned.

"It was a bad idea because he got my neck, and I passed out. Then when I came to I was in a bathroom in an apartment, no windows or outer walls. I realized no one would hear me, so it took me a long time to figure out what to do.

He would wait untill I fell sleep to bring food and lock me in again, probably had a camera somewhere. At first I decided not to sleep, but then I got very hungry, it was stupid."

Jae nodded, intrigued.

"So the next thing, I turned on the shower and sprayed all the walls in case I could hit the camera. After that I smashed the showerhead into the mirror and hid one shred in my shirt… I did it in a tarentum kind of way and pretended to fall asleep wearing myself out.

When he came in, I just went for it. I got him in the legs, but I'm pretty sure he's still okay. When he was down I slammed the door, ran right out of there and to the elevator, took it down and kept running from there."

The office settled into silence, team staring at Yeji with shock.

"What, what did you think I was going to tell you? I wasn't saved by a cop for sure." Yeji commented dryly, slightly annoyed.

"That's pretty badass." Jae responded, Jeongin quick to nod in agreement.

"Do you remember the way you ran from the building to where Wonpil picked you off?" The detective asked, not really expecting her to.

"I don't, I just booked it. I don't remember the level either, but I have some of his blood on me." Yeji answered, lifting the blanket to reveal large red stains on her shirt below them.

"That's good. I won't ask you to change right now, but it would be wonderful if you could hand us that shirt when we drop you off home."

Yeji winced, twisting her nose at Jae. "You're sending me home?"

Wonpil stepped forward, resting a hand on the table. "Not now, but later. We called up a colleague to bodyguard you until they can get an answer out of the forensics team, he's someone we know well so there's no need to worry."

Just as he said that, a tall figure entered the office.

"Estelle, I'm at the station. Please stay safe now, alright? I love you." The man ended, hanging up his call after a moment.

"Seunghyub! Good one, Pill. He's cool, Yeji, this guy is the real deal." Jae assured, waving to the tall man who then stepped over to where Yeji was seated.

"Good to see you guys." Seunghyub commented to the older boys, smiling down at Yeji. "Hwang Yeji, right? I'm your bodyguard for the next few weeks."

Yeji smiled, reassured. Looking over Seunghyub, he did seem like he could take down men, even if he acted more like the gentle giant type.

Resolving the situation, Jae took all the notes he deemed necessary before sending Yeji home alongside Seunghyub and her dad. Making her way out, Yeji made the unusual request of writing Jae's and Minho's personal numbers on her wrist, in case she remembered anything helpful.

"That was a ride." Minho commented after they were gone.

"Definitely. Some cases are like that," Jae replied, poking at Minho's ribs. "I told you sometimes they end up okay."

Minho's phone buzzed, a message popping up from an unfamiliar number.

**xxx-xxxxxxx**

Hello! Is this Minho? Hyunjin gave me your number:)

Minho's breath hitched, half-heartedly praying that it wasn't as he seemed. He did just give Yeji his number, but the mention of Hyunjin suggested different.

**xxx-xxxxxxx**

This is Jisung, by the way

He did, that fiend. How could he sell out his friend's number like that? Minho sighed, saving the number under 'HAN' before caving and changing it to 'Jisung'.

**Me**

Hello, yeah I remember you

How are you?

**Jisung**

Doing very well! Hbu?

Minho sighed, turning to Jae. "Hey, Hyung, do you have a list of people with access to classified documents? Like, photographers or forensic scientists?"

Jae paused, seemingly thinking for a bit. "I don't have a list, although it probably exists somewhere. I do know everyone on our team."

Minho considered that. "does anyone outside of our inspection team have access to Chelle's case?"

Jae nodded negatively, waiting for Minho to explain himself.

"Do you know any Hans? A Han Jisung, art major?" Minho asked farther.

"I don't. We don't hire college students in general, even as interns; Jeongin is here because his cousin got him the internship, you were our special requested case… We have volunteers, like Chan."

Jae stopped to think a bit farther before adding,

"As for Hans… That's a not an uncommon surname, but I don't think we have anyone like that. Mind telling me why?"

Minho hummed, registering the facts. "I think I'm just being paranoid, If I find something to go off of, I'll tell you. Alright?"

Jae nodded. "Alright."

**Me**

I'm fine

**Jisung**

Cool!

Ah

How about that movie?

Minho was about to ask if Hyunjin got the same invitation when another message popped up, this one from the man himself.

**Hwangjin**

Hyung do NOT mess this up for me

He really wants you to go too

I think he might be intimidated

Minho frowned. No, that wasn't it at all. However, if Hyunjin was coming, it was better not to let him meet Jisung alone. Sending the dancer a string of annoyed emojis at sharing his number, he turned back to the Chat with Jisung.

**Me**

Sounds great! Hyunjin told me he's coming too, when were you thinking to go?

This sounded exactly like an unpleasant start to a new area in one's life, in Minho's opinion.

On the other end of campus, a camera snapped.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing: a date, jeongchan, a piece of shit and another date :D

Minho ran around, changing his mind about the outfit he wanted to wear for the not-really date. He pondered for a moment why that sort of thing mattered at all with Hyunjin and a criminal, but then remembered said criminal is very cute.

Not that Minho was interested in him.

He stared into the mirror, breathing through his nose with cologne in hand. Is that too much? It was, Hyunjin would notice.

In truth Minho hadn't gone on a date since his first year of highschool. At the time is was a girl and he's been so obviously gay, so bluntly uncomfortable, that at the end she apologized and never called him again.

Mostly, Minho relied on movies.

Thankful to his love for online shopping, he put on a nice gray shirt and brown jacket, hoping to at least look cozy. Paired with his nice jeans- not date jeans, he didn't have date jeans- He hoped the look was good enough.

By the time he was done it was six pm and Hyunjin was knocking down his front door.

The two headed out, Minho driving to where Hyunjin told him Jisung's address was. The thought hadn't sat well with him, that Hyunjin had it, but he could neither ask for him to delete nor share the information.

Jisung opened the back door, smiling brightly at the two. "Hi, you guys. I didn't know you could drive." Last statement pointed at Minho.

Minho focused his gaze on the steering wheel, left hand nervously tugging at his sparkly new earring. "You hardly know anything about me."

Jisung hummed, displeased. "We're going to have to work on that, then."

A light blush colored Minho's cheeks, hoping nobody noticed. It was turning clearer, Jisung's interest in him.

"What are we watching?" Asked the shorter, already comfortable in the back seat. Hyunjin turned again from the shotguns' side, engaging him in animated talk while Minho drove. The three settled for an average action movie, nothing too gore filled for Jisung and nothing too sad for Hyunjin, Minho could already feel himself getting bored.

However, his boredom couldn't settle fully as long as the blond was sitting behind him. Every glance he took at the rearview mirror had his breath hitching; stomach filled with new flames he kept struggling to put out.

He didn't even know him that well.

Or at all.

"So, Jisung, do you have any hobbies? Besides painting" Minho asked, genuinely curious despite his hidden intention to figure out the other's character.

"I'm a music production minor- I'm really into many forms of art. I sing and rap too, and I can write pretty okay-ish lyrics. Changbin keeps telling me they're good, so I believe him."

Minho hung on that sentence for a moment. "You rap?"

Jisung smiled, confident. "I do. I like to, but I like painting more."

Hyunjin on his end looked positively charmed. "Rap for us?"

Jisung turned his eyes to the window, nervous. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that, like this."

Minho nodded. "That's fair. You don't have to." The sentence earned him a tiny yet warm smile, and Minho had the urge to repeat himself to see it again and again for more than that instance.

Hyunjin pouted, obviously looking forward to what he's been denied. "Us too, we sing. I've been singing and rapping for some time, but Minho only picked it up a while ago."

"I'm not singing." Minho declared before either could ask.

"I won't sing either then, I guess." Hyunjin commented, expression sullen. "You two are so mean."

Jisung rolled his eyes before focusing them on the mirror, gaze meeting Minho's for a long moment.

Sooner rather than later they reached the theater, Jisung offering to get popcorn and snacks only to be ushered aside by an insistent Hyunjin who claimed he wanted to treat him instead.

And so they were left alone, searching for the right hall Minho noticed Jisung's shoulder brush against his, felt that time couldn't pass any slower.

Any moment was overwhelming, every look made him want another, when really, he shouldn't have wanted those things.

"Do you want to sit in the middle or should I..?" Jisung asked when they reached their row. Figuring Hyunjin will never forgive him if he sat between the two, Minho simply took the lead and sat at the end.

Jisung sighed, realizing he will sit next to Hyunjin. Not that he had a problem with mister tall and handsome, but he felt bad leading him on when he knew what he wanted, saw it in front of him, the boy with the dark hair and expressive eyes.

Yet, it's not that he knew.

At first he said that so confidently to his friends, that he found the love of his life at that show.

The more he learned, the more sure he felt, but the more he looked and analyzed Minho the less he thought it made any sense.

Jisung wasn't blind, in fact, he was attentive- nervously considering every reaction, every expression. He could tell it wasn't working out, how the other would move away at every touch,

But maybe he could befriend him at least?

The thought of failing, going back to his everyday life, never exploring that spark at first sight, no more Minho… it was unbearable.

The movie itself was as much of a bore as it seemed to be, and Minho found little condolence in the popcorn bucket and energy drink Hyunjin got him. On the other end of Jisung Hyunjin was sharing some nachos with himself, supposedly for three but inferior to popcorn in Minho and Jisung's shared opinion.

It was around the middle part that Minho reached for the popcorn again, freezing at the spark when his hand met Jisung's. Maintaining a stoic appearance, he moved the bucket to Jisung's lap, claiming he didn't want any more.

How uncomfortable, this longing he feels.

.

The three sat at the diner, Hyunjin and Jisung talking up a storm with Minho adding in here and there.

"About the paintings," Minho engaged eventually, deciding to have another go at it.

"What are they to you?"

The question was risky, needlessly vague, and Minho instantly regretted his wording. Luckily the other seemed to take it well.

Jisung sucked on his bottom lip, considering his words for a moment. "They're a part of me; I came up with ideas and made them real. They're all my special creations- visions I brought to life." He ended.

Minho froze, struggling to process the implications of what Jisung was saying. "Real life?" He asked, terror taking over.

Jisung scrunched his nose. "They're just paintings" He said simply. As if that made it alright.

Minho blinked rapidly, blood running cold.

"Right." He replied, dropping the topic. Nothing could help how suspicious that was.

.

Time found Minho back at the station.

"Minho!" Greeted Young K, seated at the end of the table.

"How are you? It's been a while, no?" Minho replied, referring to the days that passed between Yeji's incident and present day.

"I've been working on locating Yeji's stalker, we have a name and a face but no address. The prosecution has tried to take the case out of our hands, so I'm fighting a little to keep it here."

Minho nodded.

From the hallway gentle laughter was heard, soon revealing itself in the form of Jeongin and Chan, the older smothering the younger in a hug.

"Isn't he cute?" Asked Chan, gesturing on the little heart sticker on Jeongin's cheek.

"Who are you talking about?" Young K joked, aware that the intern was sharper than he seemed, serious and even scary when pissed off.

Jeongin's expression changed quick, smile fading into a glare that caused the investigator to raise his hands in surrender. "You are, you are! I'm sorry."

Minho sighed, watching Chan's lingering stare as the younger moved away and out of the office door. It was like watching a time bomb ready to explode, but Minho wasn't worried, only exasperated.

He sat down, quickly followed by Young K on the other end of the table.

"Yeji is due a visit today, we can start a new case after she leaves." Young K announced, surprising the other.

"Really? Alright." Minho replied, surprised he's handed a new case so quickly after last time.

"That's right. I got permission from Sungjin, you've had your rest and we'll resume as planned." The older explained. After the scene Minho made at leaving, he hadn't expected to be back so soon.

"Actually, hyung, I wanted to ask if you still have Chelle's file, from her autopsy." Minho requested, hoping the other won't question him too much.

Young k frowned, nodding before he left to take the case in question.

"What about it?" He asked, laying the closed files in front of Minho.

"It's on my mind." Minho replied simply, opening and brushing through the details again.

"Hey hyung, do you know a Han Jisung?" He asked, voicing the mess that's been heavy on his mind.

"I might. My memory is not bad, but if it's someone I met once I might have forgotten." Young k replied honestly.

"But you don't have one that's close to you, right? On the crew, hanging around, a nineteen years old with pretty eyes and smooth bleached hair, but not too bleached- honey colored, shorter than me but not all that short.

Excitable too, like he's cute, but hard to read when it comes to things that matter..? That kind of person, he's likable and well-rounded but makes me so nervous."

Young K stared, looking as if he's being tested by something. "Does he look like me or something? I'm sorry, I'm an only child. I don't know your crush, but I guess it would be cool if I did."

"He does look like you some times, but, wait- no, he's not my crush! Hyung," Minho twisted his face in discomfort.

"I'm no school counselor, but you can be open with me. I don't judge over this kind of thing, so don't worry." Young k assured, petting Minho's hair once before standing up and reaching for his cellphone.

Minutes passed before the office door swung open, revealing Yeji and Seunghyub as her shadow. Minho waved from his chair, re-reading a paragraph on Chelle's case while they all waited for Jeongin to make coffee, Young k stretching his legs under the table.

Chatting lightly, Young k explained to Yeji how he wanted her to verify her stalker's identity, as well as make clearer, more concise statements for the prosecution to use later when he's found.

As apparent from a call, Jae was running late due to a car accident in front of his complex.

This meant Young k had to pull the database all over again, printing the files about their suspect, the physical copies of which were with the other detective.

While waiting, Yeji couldn't help curiously glancing over Minho's shoulder, reading bits of the classified case.

After a while, she couldn't take that, either.

"That's horrible, was she copying van gogh?"

Minho turned around, eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"

"She was shot in a tall grass field, and it says her ear was missing." Yeji supplied.

"First of all, she shot herself. Secondly, her ear could have been bitten off by animals." Minho countered.

"That makes no sense- ears are full of cartilage. What kind of animal bites ears and then leaves?" Yeji reasoned. The argument was strong, shaking Minho's resolve.

"What else could it be? Do you think she cut it off herself?" He asked, defensive.

"People are wild, how would I know?" Yeji replied, eyes glancing back at the file. "Is the animal what moved the gun, too?"

Minho gaped, turning back to read the paragraph about it. "It was only angled a little weird, she could have thrown it."

Yeji blinked.

"That doesn’t sound right."

Minho looked to Seunghyub, who was leaning against the wall in the back.

"What does, then? This is the resolution to the case. Anything other than that is speculation, you have nothing to back it up."

Yeji bit her lip, tilting her head to one side.

"You're the investigator, aren't you?" She commented, hitting hard.

"And anyway, since the case is marked closed, aren't you reading it because you think so as well? That it doesn’t fit, what was described there."

Minho took a deep breath, closing the file. "Either way, you know you weren't supposed to see the case. It's classified, so I'm pushing it here."

"Sorry." Yeji apologized, sounding sincere.

"It's okay, I think I needed to hear it from someone else, know I'm not crazy for thinking the same." He offered, coming off a bit more vulnerable than intended.

About Chelle… what really happened that day?

Chan walked out of the hallway, cracking a couple knuckles and rolling his shoulders, sore from tending too long to a screen.

Minho immediately hid the file, signing to Yeji that the conversation was over indefinitely.

"Hyung, are you going home?" Jeongin asked, and Minho realized the younger was listening in on them from the hallway for some time.

"Yeah, I think Dowoon killed me with the demo calls. I'm going to have to go and revive." Chan replied, pale face making the joke more believable than it should be.

"Hello Minho, Yeji, Seunghyub. Sorry I'm not sticking around" the older added as an afterthought. With one last lingering stare Jeongin's way he was out, allowing the tension to fade from the others.

Minho stared at Jeongin who was blushing visibly at the closed door. "You like him," He stated, no question in it.

Jeongin glared, blush rendering it ineffective "Leave me alone." He spat, embarrassed.

Then just as he appeared, he left again- probably to run some errands for Dowoon.

Minho's phone buzzed harshly, signifying he got a message from someone he hadn't put on silent. Opening his kakaotalk, he scolded himself not to hope that it was Jisung.

Alternating between his chats, there were a few excitable messages from Felix who's seen a cool frog, a video from Ryujin showing her dance, a selfie from Hyunjin asking if he's working, and a message from a chat that made his breath hitch.

Dialing the contact, Minho stood up and walked away for some privacy.

"Hello?" the voice asked.

"Mom?" Minho replied, tone strained.

"Hey Baby," His mother melted, and Minho wondered if she missed him after all.

"You're back in korea? I could have driven you home from the airport, You should have told me." He complained, unintentionally nagging.

"Don't worry about it, I'm already home." She replied, trying to pacify him.

"When did you arrive?" He asked farther.

"I just got home and unpacked. I'm used to traveling alone, but this house feels strange without you in it."

Minho sighed.

"We can get some dinner, if you like." He offered, as if she hadn't paid every time.

"That sounds lovely, but I have to run some business calls tonight. How about breakfast tomorrow? I have an opening between eight and nine."

Minho sighed again, biting his lip.

"I have class. I'm busy all day too, nowadays. Maybe you rubbed off on me."

"Nonsense, it's genetic. I hadn't seen you for so long, then how could I do that?" His mother asked, making Minho feel guilty when really it was all her fault for leaving.

"Let's cancel some plans then. I can fix tomorrow's lunch if you can." Minho suggested, met with a satisfied hum.

"Is there anyone for me to meet? A girl? I don't know how long I'll be staying, so this is a good opportunity." His mother added.

"Mom… I'm gay, you know I am." Minho strained.

"Right, right I'm sorry, I do know. Is there a guy for me to meet?" She corrected. This is exactly why they failed, could never get close despite both wanting to.

"I'm not… seeing, anybody." Minho informed, Jisung's face coming to mind. That wasn't even a date, and Jisung wasn't an interest anyway.

"Fair enough, relationships aren't that great." His mother joked. Of course she'd think so, she's divorced.

Minho hummed. "I'll see you then." He cut short.

"Say when and where." His mother replied.

Silence, and then the sound of a click.

Gosh, the emotional toll. He and his mother hadn't spoken since last christmas, when she sent him pricey shoes the wrong size. The two hadn't met since October of that year, on his birthday for a couple hours.

He wondered if she would notice he lost weight.

Raising a hand to his left eye, Minho suddenly felt it was dry. The contact lens had become crisp, and he had to consciously blink for a moment for it to stop hurting.

What a mess.

.

"Alright, let's begin." Jae started, seeming exhausted from traffic and the work he's already invested in Yeji.

The work the two picked for today was an ongoing case of a guy named Gumri who disappeared from the same university Minho attended.

The guy had left so many hints and leads behind, the information was almost overwhelming and yet, no resolution had come by. Intriguing as it was, Minho was ready to dive in head first despite the fresh memories occupying his mind.

"Have you tracked his phone?" Minho asked, a basic yet important question to ask for missing cases.

"That's a given. For Min-ra she left it at home, but Gumri had not; instead it was found in a hotel, no fingerprints but Gumri's own. The management called after finding it, threatening to keep it unless the owner paid for his stay.

When we got to the room it reeked of sex but no blood, only Gumri's dna all over the covers and whatnot. There was nothing else there."

Minho hummed, considering the information. "How long was he staying there?"

Jae shrugged. "Actively? One night, taken in some tall ginger according to staff. Officially, he said he'll be staying a week."

Interesting.

"Do you think he raped that girl? Maybe she killed him then." Minho theorized. From the other end of the room Young K frowned.

"You're jumping to conclusions. Tall ginger is summed as a tall person with ginger hair, the staff couldn't remember much and hadn't paid enough attention to tell what their gender was. Mind you, it was around two AM, so I get that.

If I had to conspire, I'd say it was probably not a girl, and with the other party leading, which might explain why the bed is only full of Gumri's DNA."

Minho cringed lightly at the imagery. "Okay, that sounds reasonable." He admitted nonetheless.

"We tried talking to people who knew him, but he has so many enemies it became more difficult to narrow down with every new one we questioned." Jae sighed.

Minho could second that sigh, he thought.

"How bad is it?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh boy, bad. A racist, kinky piece of shit- past relationship with an underaged dark skinned girl, emotionally abusive. He'd call her bad names, make her feel small compared to whatever his idea of white woman was.

He cheated multiple times too, with either white "pure" girls or old white men. Honestly, I'd trash this file right now if I knew it wouldn't come back to haunt me later, asshole deserved whatever happened."

Minho grimaced, sliding the files away from himself with disgust.

"Can't we try someone else?" He requested.

"No." Young k replied simply. "It's perfect. No matter what happens, keep your eyes on the prize- this case is the most complicated we have by far, and the amount of field work it requires is astounding, so I think it can keep you going for a while."

Minho pouted, slowly adapting to the idea. It's not that he liked Chelle either, after all.

Not like he wanted this asshole's ghost to haunt him.

"Since I know you tend to do that, please text the team next time before you investigate on the field.

It's dangerous to do alone, and this guy had a lot of enemies- If you don't want to go with Jae and I, take Chan or Jeongin instead." Young K requested.

Minho nodded, accepting the terms. "Is Chan even okay for this?"

Jae hummed, considering it for a moment. "Would you be comfortable with someone from our team?"

Minho grimaced. "They're all much older than me, it feels awkward."

Young K pinched the bridge of his nose. "It doesn't have to be someone from the team, just make sure they're reliable. Jeongin is a bit young, but he's very talented, although I don't know how well it'll go if you two are attacked. Better Chan comes too."

Minho sighed. "I don't want to drag random people into it."

Jeongin walked in, frowning tellingly. "I'm battle trained!"

Minho rolled his eyes. "eavesdropping is a bad habit." He scolded.

"I thought you didn't want to get involved anyway." Jae added, amused.

"Hyung-- stop teasing me," Jeongin complained at Jae. "If you're taking Chan I want to go."

Minho cooed. "I just said I don't want to take Chan, but that's good to know."

Jeongin flustered, glaring at the older. "You are my least favorite hyung."

Ouch, that hurt. "I'm not taking him." Minho complained too, knowing it was a bit childish as well.

Young K laughed. "You might as well take both of them. Make it a little date."

Jeongin turned on his heel, too flustered to reply.

"Alright, you guys. Let's get back to work." Jae announced.

He will have to keep it in mind.

.

"Hyung?"

Minho hummed, trying to figure out who was he on call with, since he forgot to check before picking up. Distancing the cell from himself to read the contact name, he cringed a little at his own excitement.

"Jisung?"

He was in a bit of a rush, class just ended and he had to head out to meet his mom. It's been a while, after all.

A few missed classes wouldn't hurt anyone.

"How are you?" The other's voice sounded kindly, melting the edge of Minho's hostility.

"I'm doing alright, class just ended. You?" He returned the small talk.

"I've been composing a little, but I ran out of steam I think. Wanted to hear your voice."

Minho rolled his eyes, pretending the flirt did not hit a nerve. "Do you want me to narrate you some books, then?"

Jisung fell to silence.

"That sounds lovely, actually."

Minho bit back a surprised smile. "Really?"

"Yeah."

He took a breath, looking over his books before lowering his tone.

"I'm a boring book. Nobody needed me, but I'm required for Minho's class."

Jisung hummed.

"Minho's been carrying me around, I'm so heavy I break his back and it creaks."

Minho paused, hearing a chuckle on the other end of the call.

"Be nice to Minho, boring book-ssi." Jisung addressed.

"Hyung for you." Minho corrected, hardly ignoring how ridiculous the entire exchange was.

"Actually I was calling to see if you're free, I have some time around now, maybe I could come see you?"

Minho smiled lightly, covering his face with his other hand to make sure the remaining classmates won't see.

"I'm sorry, I actually have plans to meet up with my mom." Minho informed, immediately regretting sharing private information so easily.

"Oh! That's cool, some other time then?" Jisung asked, and Minho was reminded unfortunately of their exchange from last time.

"I'll think about it. I have to go, sorry." Minho ended, heart speeding up. This wouldn't work out, he knew so.

Disappointedly packing his remaining things, he threw his backpack on one shoulder and speed walked to the café he was supposed to meet his mother at.

That had been twenty minutes ago.

Minho called, finding that he was immediately put on hold. Was she talking to someone? Another work call?

The cashier sent him a pitiful look, making Minho want to shout out that no, he wasn't ditched by a date, he's perfectly fine sitting right here.

Time went by, eventually leading to Minho pulling out his laptop and working on some assignments he had due- That way at least his time would be worthwhile.

The sound of cups being set on the table brought Minho to raise his head from the screen, ready to complain before noticing the other was not the one he was waiting for.

"I didn't know what you like, but people are usually okay with hot chocolate unless they're like, lactose intolerant, so if you are, I feel bad for you." Jisung ranted, shutting himself up with a large piece of what Minho figured was cheesecake.

"Huh." Minho voiced.

Jisung waved, as if the short introduction wasn't enough.

Minho sighed, picking up the cup and taking a sip to show appreciation before asking, "What are you doing here?"

Jisung's eyes moved around, avoiding him. "I'll go."

Minho huffed with endearment. "No, that's fine, mom ditched."

At his admission Jisung deflated, finally meeting Minho's eyes. "Your mom did?!"

Minho nodded uncomfortably. "She might still show, I don't know. Maybe she'll make it up to me somehow."

Honestly, he couldn't even feel mad, only disappointed.

Jisung made a sour face, perfectly reflecting how Minho felt.

Seeing that he seemed like he was holding back questions, Minho considered it for a moment before giving him permission. "You can ask, but don't be an ass."

Jisung's eyes sparked and he took another bite of his cake before voicing his first question out loud. "She does this a lot?"

Minho bit his lip. "We don't usually meet, at all. She travels most of the time."

Jisung seemed to think for a moment before proceeding. "divorced?"

"Yeah." Minho replied quickly, hoping the topic's covered for now.

Jisung thought otherwise. "You're closer with your dad then?"

Minho squinted in pain, making Jisung regret the question.

"He doesn't like me. I'm in touch with his family though" He explained, immediately regretting saying that as well. How many details of his life would he give him? Ryujin had to stay secret, for sure.

"Been an ass, got it. I'm sorry." Jisung apologized, looking upset.

"It's fine." Minho assured. Really, it wasn't fine.

"What are you working on?" The blond asked instead.

Minho blinked, reminded he was in the middle of an assay about death penalty, pros and cons. Mostly cons.

"Just some school stuff." He replied carefully, closing his laptop and sliding it into his bag, not before hitting save multiple times.

"Dance theory? It seemed very intriguing." Jisung asked innocently, recalling Minho's studying dance.

Minho shrugged, finding the topic only slightly more comfortable.

"You should come sometime to see us dance." He diverted.

Jisung's expression lightened up. "I was thinking about doing that! For my art, I wanted dancers."

Minho deadpanned, mentally shoving breadsticks into his nonexistent purse. "Not Hyunjin." He stressed. "Not my other friends either."

Jisung tilted his head slightly. "You, then?"

Minho raised his fists, ready to fend for his life.

"Minho! Baby, I'm so sorry." His mother's voice trailed from the café's entrance.

Minho almost voiced out a scream. "Mom- why would you show up now? why didn't you pick up my calls?!"

His mother raised her hands in surrender, expression immediately reminding Jisung of Minho. They did look very much alike, after all.

"My partners wouldn't let me off. Is that the hello I get? Who's this?" She threw back, and Minho raised his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation.

Thinking about it, he did miss her. Rather than yelling farther he stood, wrapping his arms around his mother's short frame.

"I really thought you weren't gonna show." He admitted, finding it in himself to almost cry when it hit- It had been six months since the last time.

"You lost weight." His mother noted, arms tightening around her boy.

Minho felt himself melting, the stress of earlier fading under her protection. So pathetic, he was twenty-one, and yet.

Jisung waited patiently, smiling kindly when the two parted again. "Hello, Minho's mom."

The woman smiled, petting his head. "I'm sorry, my son told me you didn't exist."

Jisung seemed confused at that, introducing himself anyway to Minho's embarrassment.

"I'm Han Jisung, Minho hyung's friend. It's nice to meet you" he bowed politely.

"It's okay sweetheart, I know." She assured, petting his hair again.

"Minho, he's so cute." She noted, taking her son's hand.

"He's okay," Minho relented, eyes locking with Jisung's again.

His mother gave him an unimpressed look before reaching up to pick an eyelash from his cheek.

"Oh," Jisung staged. "I completely forgot, I had to be at this thing."

Minho huffed, nodding with his head towards the exit, to which Jisung excused himself quickly.

Sitting back down with his mom, he realized he forgot to pay back for the drink.

.

When they had to part, Minho almost insisted to drive his mother home before remembering he didn't take the car there.

"Take care of yourself, Minho. I'm happy and proud of you, but don't turn out like me, alright? I'm talking about both, the boy and work. If it gets too much, pick what's more important."

Minho hummed, signing that he got the message. His mother paused, stroking his hair softly.

"It's never work, by the way." She informed.

A hypocrite, maybe.

"I'm serious, this internship thing is giving me chills. Save your soul, Minho. You're already my odd boy as it is." She pointed, pinching his cheek right under his left eye.

Minho pouted.

"Are you fully stacked on lenses? I ordered some more just in case." She added, while on the subject.

"I make sure I am, can't go walking around with my cryptid showing." He sassed.

His mother sighed. "You're handsome with or without. People are just very stupid."

"Dad's stupid too." Minho added.

"He's the stupidest one." His mother agreed, ruffling his hair before walking to the next taxi over.

"Call me!" she warned, earning a smile. It'd be a while before they meet again.

It didn't even hurt anymore.

Minho watched her leave, mindlessly rubbing his right eye when it struck: the image of the campus fountain.

He might have to look into that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peps! Thank you for reading so far into this work, I wanted to inform you that starting next week i'm introducing violence to this fic as per this fic's tw, just a heads up! Some other tags are also kicking in, such as assertive Jeongin and best sibling bond ever x'D  
> Honestly I don't think we've even passed the middle section of this fic, I have a lot more planned.  
> Make sure to tell me your opinions +/ theories!! I love to read those :D


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeongchan lives,  
> I (as always) feel low-key bad for doing this to Minho,  
> Minsung are soulmates,  
> And you know... just the usual ;)

Minho shuffled the papers, trying to ignore the two noisy men behind him. This case has been going for no more than five days, since april 19th, but Minho had already started stressing about timing.

"Gumri dated around a bit, there's nothing to tie him down to one person. His ex, the actual one, had an alibi, but that doesn't matter unless we find a body. It's all the prosecution's business if we do, anyway."

He turned around, narrowing his eyes at the sickening sight.

"You guys mind? We're in the middle of something." He reminded, causing the two to drop whatever they were doing.

Seemingly they were pointing out cool items from the antique store window, but Minho knew they were flirting- after all, the investigation had nothing to do with those objects.

"We should go take a look at the fountain, Gumri took a picture of it a week or so before he disappeared." Minho explained. Not to mention, he saw a fountain before in his… what were those, even?

"Let's go." Chan agreed, smiling warmly at the younger.

Minho felt a bit jealous at that.

When they reached their target Minho paused, putting the papers back in his bag and pulling out his phone for even more notes.

"This is a weak lead, but I saw it before. I might be going crazy, still I want to check out this area." Minho mumbled, more to himself than to the others.

Gumri was quite complicated. An artist, like Chelle- he didn't exactly seem the suicidal type. Putting aside his raising suspicion that Chelle wasn't either, he pushed farther.

Gumri liked to draw people, often his ex and black women in general. Sometimes he'd draw white people as well, men on a horseback and others like that.

To the latter he usually added pretty backgrounds; town squares or shopping centers, which is why when he found that Gumri had a picture taken of this place, Minho wasn't exactly surprised.

Most probably it was for his art, but comparing it to Chelle made this lead seem probable.

Minho scanned the scene with his eyes. What first? Check the alleys, question the shop owners?

Next to the fountain, Chan and Jeongin were busy taking pictures like tourists in a trap. It shouldn't have been as annoying as it was, but at the time Minho couldn't shake the image of Jisung from his mind.

Rolling his shoulders he sighed, moving on to crack his neck. Too much tension had gathered in him, stressing over these kinds of thoughts again.

Minho glanced over in time to see Jeongin turn his head and lean down to peck Chan on the cheek. It was innocent as far as those things could be, and the camera snapped just in time to catch it.

"That's it, I'm calling Jae hyung." Minho announced, needlessly bitter. In the background Chan gasped, tickling the younger to evoke his laughter.

"Minho?!" Jae questioned in a stressed tone of voice.

"Hyung, they keep getting distracted by each other. I can't do this." Minho complained.

"They're not there to help you, they're there to bodyguard your ass. Don't call me for this kind on nonsense, you scared me." Jae scolded, and Minho dimly remembered the last time he called the older out of the blue.

"Sorry, I'm just, I'm really stressed." Minho confessed.

"I'll treat you later, have some fun while you're out" Jae advised, tone softening.

"Alright, thank you hyung." Minho parted, the other ending the call with a hum.

Looking again to the other two, Minho thought in passing about inviting Jisung before remembering how ridiculously bad of an idea that would be.

Still he messed with his phone, entering Kakaotalk to see his new messages.

There was a new one from Ryu asking what he's up to, a picture from Hyunjin of his dog in a bowtie, a message from Felix asking to meet up tomorrow and a picture from Jisung which made him smile a little.

The latter was a pic of a cookie, vaguely cat shaped with a face drawn in icing.

"I made it!" read the caption, and Minho got the feeling Jisung hadn't baked before in his life.

He ignored the urge to type something along the lines of "cute :3" and instead commented on how none of the other's artistic skills showed itself.

"I'm going to get better!" Jisung replied immediately,

"I'll do it over as many times as it takes,

So look forward to sharing them with me."

Minho bit his lip, staring pathetically at the nearby shop.

He turned off his phone, shoving it deep down the back pocket of his jeans, where it belonged.

Okay.

Grabbing the boys by their wrists, he instructed them to stay close behind him as they walked through the alleys.

When they covered the alleys, they tried the shop owners.

When they covered the owners, Minho went home.

.

"I searched all day, nothing! I swear, this internship is so draining." Minho whined, earning pitiful sounds from the other.

"Take me with you next time." Felix offered.

"I can't do that, you're not exposed to the details." Minho repeated.

"Boo." Felix complained. "Chan hyung could go…"

The two were laying on the campus lawn, lightly shaded by a tree and cloud-gazing after finding nothing else to do. Felix offered to play some games, but both knew Minho sucked so bad it'd leave them both in a bad mood if they did.

Minho closed his eyes, glad to soak in his friend's presence. Usually they'd cuddle, but in public it was awkward.

"You shouldn't work so hard." Felix pointed. "You're a sophomore. No offense to law enforcement, but you should be partying."

Minho chuckled, a comfortable silence falling between them.

"Hey, hyung, do you have a favorite day?" Felix asked after a moment.

"Favorite day?" Minho replied, startled by the question.

"Yeah." Felix affirmed. He rolled to his side, sparkly eyes staring at Minho.

"That's a weird question, I think I do." Minho replied, recalling a bit before resuming.

"The day my mom decided to sign the divorce papers."

Felix whistled lowly, ready to hear the rest of the story.

"She says my dad was with a different woman by then, my stepmom, and I'm pretty sure she was pregnant too.

I was almost two years old, and when my mom picked me out of the crib that morning, apparently I kept telling her, 'today! Mom, today!'- so she sat down and signed them after struggling all that time. My mom always treats me someplace nice on that date, we get to spend time together."

Felix's eyes widened. "hell."

"Yeah." Minho agreed.

"I expected you to say something like halloween or your birthday, or christmas even. What date is that?" The younger joked.

"September fourteenth."

Felix sat up, throwing grass at the older. "What?"

"That's literally a day before my birthday. You couldn't wait one more day?" He fussed.

"Baby Minhos behave in mysterious ways. Really though? That's pretty cool." Minho replied.

"It is! Treat me out next time, too." Felix conditioned.

"I will." Minho promised. "And anyway, where were you going with this question?"

Felix shrugged. "We've been friends for a while but I don't know the trivial things."

Minho blinked. "Okay, well, what's yours? Your favorite date."

Felix smirked, pretending to think for a moment before replying. "That's a tough one. I'd have to say april 25th, because it's not too hot and not too cold. All you need is a light jacket."

Minho stared, stunned. "I can't believe you. Isn't that today's date as well?"

Felix broke into giggles, making Minho feel farther betrayed than he already did.

"Is that why you wanted to meet? How long were you planning this?"

Felix winked, laughing harder at Minho's disgust.

"I can't believe I gave you a deep and meaningful answer and this is how you repay me."

Felix ceased in his laughing with effort, reminding Minho no one asked for that kind of answer.

"I just wanted an opportunity to say it, but you had to say all that." He affirmed.

"Brat." Minho snickered.

Felix rolled over, head smoshing Minho's stomach. He wheezed, stroking the other's hair like a cat.

"Say, hyung." Felix questioned.

A soft hum was his reply.

"You said you're stressed, but you look like you've been getting more sleep."

Minho opened his eyes, smile fading.

"I do? I don't feel much different though." Maybe without noticing, Minho has slowly been gaining strength anyway.

"It's like your skin glows. It's like, wait, you like somebody!" Felix guessed.

Minho made a sour face, shoving Felix right off himself.

The younger whined, looking at him with a hurt expression.

"You could have just said no." He pouted.

"That's not it," Minho said without thinking.

"Oh so you do?" Felix's expression changed too quickly to follow. "Is it me?"

Minho scoffed, rolling his eyes to make a point.

"I don't have a crush, Hyunjin does. Go bother him."

Felix stared, trying to process.

"How do you know?" He asked with suspicion.

"He's obvious." Minho replied simply. Felix blinked.

"Just so we're clear, who do you think it is?" he checked, tone careful.

"A guy named Jisung. We met him at the art show, and then out at the movies and on to a dinner date." Minho explained, faced with a dumb expression.

Felix exhaled, looking a little more tired than before. "Okay."

"Okay?" Minho threw back.

"Okay. I will go bother Hyunjin, since you're both my equally stupid friends." Felix added.

"I'll have you know I'm pretty sharp." Minho defended, earning a snort from Felix.

"Of course you are."

"I am!"

The two bickered, dropping the subject neither were keen on touching after the exchange. Having fun, venting their stress and worries,

This is exactly what friends are for.

.

Minho drove by, looking for his sister in the crowd flooding the sidewalks.

The shotgun's door opened, hardly startling him despite being unexpected.

"Oppa! You're on time, thank you for picking me up." Ryujin smiled, the two sharing their excitement through their eyes rather than physical affection.

"I wouldn't miss it. How did your audition go?" He asked, excited for the possibility of her getting in.

"They said I was one of the best ones so far, but they still want to see some more auditions. It's not bad, but I'll have to wait and see if I get the job."

Minho nodded. A career in dancing was no simple matter, hence keeping it secret for a while. Without a contract ready in hand it was more than likely their dad would veto it out.

"I'm so proud of you." Minho admitted, expression affectionate.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go somewhere nice, we can split the tab." Ryujin offered.

"I'm treating you." Minho announced.

Ryujin was about to reply when Minho's phone rang, the screen flashing an unfamiliar number.

"Just a moment." He gestured, answering the call.

"I need help" The voice whispered, sounding mildly panicked.

Minho straightened in his chair.

"Who is this?" He asked, nerves on edge.

"Yeji, Oppa I'm in trouble, I need help." Yeji yell whispered.

"Where's Seunghyub?" He asked, panicking now as well.

"I'm alone. I'm in the convenience store of my block, please, please."

A sound rustled, line hanging up.

Minho tacked Ryujin's seatbelt to place, driving like a madman to Ryujin's total surprise.

"Oppa what- what's going on?" She asked with confusion.

"Stay here." He instructed sternly, half parking the car on the sidewalk before rushing out and into the store.

"Excuse me?" He asked, noticing a tall man wearing a hoodie.

The man turned slightly, placing back the boxes he was looking over.

Minho looked around with confusion, noticing with a start a pair of shoes hiding behind the stands.

"Do you have a moment to, uh, I would like to offer you a discount." Minho improvised, failing miserably under the pressure.

The stranger glared, turning back.

"No, sir, I really need to talk to you." Minho insisted, noticing no one's been occupying the counter.

"Fuck off." The man voiced.

Minho pulled his wrist, dragging him away from the shelves only to be hit with something hard.

It took him another hit to realize he got punched and he dodged, terror morphing into adrenaline as he yelled and hit back with whatever strength he had.

He could barely make out Yeji running before something heavy was thrown at the other man, Knocking him out cold to the floor. Looking to his side he realized it was Ryujin who had thrown the cash register at the attacker, a wave of pride and relief washing over him.

"I told you to stay in the car." He half scolded, sliding down and resting his head against the wall.

"I can't believe you." Ryujin threw back, phone in hand and calling the police.

"I hope Chan wouldn't be picking this one up, it could be awkward." Minho noted.

"What are you even talking about?" Ryujin asked angrily. "Hello? Yes, there's an emergency"

Minho closed his eyes, listening to her talk.

.

"I can't believe you left the house without me." Seunghyub voiced, just as shaken as the rest of them were.

Yeji averted her eyes. "I needed.. things. I can't shop for it when You're looking."

Seunghyub grimaced, crossing his hands on his chest.

"You know I have a wife right? I know what tampons are, you could tell me to turn around. Better, you could ask your mom to go get them." The taller scolded.

"Either way, you both are in trouble. You could have died." Sungjin scolded harshly.

"I'm going to have to suspend you, I'm sorry. Yeji, please don't disrupt an officer doing his job."

Yeji made a sound, looking to Seunghyub with panic. "It wasn't his fault! I snuck out on my own, he always followed me like he was supposed to."

Sungjin's expression softened, considering it for a moment.

"Okay. Alright, then you're both getting hours of community service. Minho got injured because of you."

If Minho had the energy to do so, he would have protested.

As it was, he had to visit a hospital to make sure he wasn't concussed. He wasn't, but his wrist was sprained, and his jaw hurt when he moved it. He earned a black eye too, apparently, but nothing that wouldn't heal in a week's time.

Ryujin sat close, fiddling with her nails.

"This is your sister, right?" Young K asked, addressing both.

"I am." Ryujin answered, aware of Minho's mood.

Young K moved uncomfortably, no doubt recalling the phone call from a while before.

"Good job, you were very brave back there." He acknowledged.

"Will I have to refund the shop for damaging their property?" She asked, concerned at the thought.

"No?" Young K replied with slight confusion. "If they give you trouble let me know, alright?"

Ryujin nodded, leaning her head on Minho's shoulder.

"Do you still want ice cream?" she asked, earning a sad groan.

"I'll treat you two, since I feel sorry." Seunghyub offered. Ryujin passed him their order, speaking for Minho as well.

"You should text your mom." Ryujin reminded. Minho groaned, telepathically sending her his opinion on the matter.

"Right, twenty one, don't need to tell your mom about stuff. You should still tell her you got in a fist fight with a man twice your size."

Minho blinked, uninjured arm typing a message out to show her.

"If mom hears she'll get really worried. Soon she'll leave the country again anyway, I can get away with it."

Ryujin sighed, poking Minho's ribs which were still a little sore.

"How about class? Will you be able to go?"

Minho thought for a moment, blinking at air before typing again.

"My professors will get the wrong idea-"

Changing his mind he erased the massage, typing in a new one.

"I need to go, I can't afford to fail classes. The professors can shove it, I have this internship anyway."

Ryujin made a soft sound, dropping the conversation.

Left with nothing to do Yeji sat down on the next chair over. After the confrontation her stalker was taken in, which meant she was free of Seunghyub for now, but they all still needed to give their testimony.

"What next? Will my case be passed to the prosecution?" She asked, met with a pause.

"Probably." Ryujin replied, Minho nodding lightly.

"Lucky you were there, it was kind of cool. You two are a couple?"

Both turned, staring at her in disgust. "No?" Minho replied in exasperation, immediately regretting moving his jaw.

"Sorry- I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself first. I'm Yeji, it's nice to meet you, you saved me too."

Ryujin raised one eyebrow. "You're welcome- I'm Ryujin, us two are siblings."

Yeji looked between the two, slightly confused but not questioning it.

Minho rolled his eyes, typing a new message to Ryujin.

"Yeji's pretty badass, she's embarrassing herself now but she took on that guy before."

Ryujin made an interested expression, glancing back at Yeji.

Not bad.

Chan walked in, looking like he's had the worst time of his life dealing with their mess.

"You scared the life out of me." He scolded, running his hands through his hair.

"Sorry." Ryujin apologized in his stead, ever the reliable sister.

Jeongin stepped out of the hall, holding a cup of hot cocoa as usual as well as a pack of almonds.

Handing Yeji the cocoa he turned, crossing his hands and glaring lightly down at the older.

"Go home." He ordered.

"I'm fine."

"You're pale."

"This is just what I look like." Chan defended. Seeing his resolve the younger pouted, opening the bag and pressing some almonds into his hand.

"Eat these."

Chan obeyed this time. Eyes softening he picked an almond and placed it in his mouth, chewing carefully. That seemed to satisfy the other and he stepped away, offering some of the almonds to the girls too.

"You're an intern here too, right?" Yeji asked, trying to pick up conversation.

"I am. I'm not an investigator though." Jeongin replied.

"What's your major?"

Jeongin shifted, placing the near empty bag on the table. "I graduated already."

Minho made a sound, not in the mood for small talk. Still Yeji asked again, not minding him.

"I meant like, in college."

Jeongin looked at her, blinking for a moment. "I don’t know, I guess, I still have time before I have to choose."

Ryujin shifted at that. "How old are you?" She asked, now curious as well.

"Nineteen." Jeongin replied, missing Chan's widened eyes as he choked on an almond.

"Chan?" He turned, confused at the noises. Chan nodded, hand running through his hair, pulling it slightly. He swallowed, excusing himself shortly after. "I'm gonna head home." He announced, leaving the others baffled.

Minho sighed.

There it was.

Seunghyub entered eventually, carrying a container of ice cream. "I'm not sure how you're going to eat this, but I got it anyway." He announced.

Minho accepted the dessert, Immediately pressing it against the side of his face. To his side Ryujin whined.

"What were you two doing anyway?" Jeongin asked, almost distracted when he saw Young K enter the room again to shuffle through his papers.

"We were going to celebrate." Ryujin answered, tapping her thigh.

"Did something good happen?" Young k asked absentmindedly.

"I had an audition at JYP." She replied with a small smile. "It seems like a smaller deal now than it did."

Yeji shifted, looking at her with interest. "What did you audition for?" She asked.

"Dancing. I've been doing freestyle since I was a baby." Ryujin explained, happy under the attention.

"I'll see what I can do, then." Yeji said with a smile.

"What?" Ryujin asked, eyes widening.

"I'm a dancer too." Yeji informed, finding Ryujin's excitement contagious.

"Really? That's so cool, thank you!" Ryujin moved, shaking Minho's shoulder. He himself was just as interested, although he didn't think help was necessary. Ryujin could do it all on her own, he knew so.

"Can I give you my number?" Ryujin asked, Filling in the details when Yeji handed over her cell.

"Alright, Ryujin, come over so we can take the testimony and send you home." Young k called from his corner, leading her through the hallway into a different turn.

"Do you think they'll lock him up for a long time?" Yeji asked with a sudden fright.

"He won't get away with community service, right?"

Minho nodded no, doing his best to calm her down. "He's going to rot in jail for some time." He voiced with slight pain, finally opening the ice cream and scooping out some with a teaspoon Jeongin handed him earlier.

Ryujin will kill him for starting without her, but, nevermind that.

"He's right, you know. He'll get a restraining order at least, and then some actual time in jail for causing bodily harm and kidnapping and, anything the prosecution can think of, they get creative." Jeongin added.

"And if anything happens you can call me, even if I won't stick around anymore." Seunghyub added last after a pause.

"I don't have time for stalkers, I need him to stay away." Yeji replied, as if she wasn't scared for her life earlier that day. That girl sure could keep her composure.

"Right, Minho, earlier today Jae said, he has new information for your case." Jeongin remembered suddenly, eyes questioning if Minho was in a state to look it over.

Minho grunted, feeling exhausted. Still,

He couldn't just let the missing person be.

Aware he wouldn't be able to stand up easily with his one unhurt arm holding the ice cream tub, Minho simply gestured for Jeongin to hand it over.

The younger did as asked, all occupants of the room watching with hidden admiration as Minho's eyes ran quickly over the material.

Apparently Gumri rented an apartment a couple blocks over, one he's had the lease of expire a week ago. They had known this, known he himself wasn't in it going by the missing person report, but hadn't expected to find nothing at all, as if he had moved away already.

Minho wondered, if he stayed in a hotel, whether Gumri had anywhere to move to. He certainly didn't have an entire apartment's worth of furniture in that hotel room, but no other place was written under his name, as per Jae's investigation.

Maybe he moved in with the ginger person.

Maybe they've ran away in secret.

Minho frowned, finding none of it suitable to Gumri's profile. The fact was that Gumri himself left home at a young age, pursuing his artistic aspirations to his parents disapproval. That and, he couldn't imagine him in a stable relationship.

Minho sighed, looking over a picture of the asshole in question.

Gumri had a snarl on his face, trying to look like a punk for the picture. The underaged girl was to his side, visibly uncomfortable.

Looking harder, he noticed a tattoo.

A cross? Right under Gumri's elbow.

How random.

Minho hummed, entertaining the thought Gumri might have been a part of a christian cult who sacrificed him to god. The thought was ridiculous, but as an atheist he often found himself critical of religious people to that extant.

Jisung, for example, with his stupid cross earrings.

Minho blinked hard, swallowing and shifting in place in discomfort. What an unpleasant thought, a baseless association he thought of for no reason. He should really stop thinking about him.

Flipping pages over, Minho checked again Gumri's major.

Shit. An art major, in the same college.

Did they know each other?

Breathing in slowly Minho forced himself to calm down. They shared a major, so what? So did all other art majors. Not to mention, they had a two year age gap.

So did he and his friends.

He might have to look into that too.

Minho cleared his mind, thinking of cute cats and sunny days for a moment before reading everything over, just to check if anything different came to mind.

"What do you think?" Jeongin asked, speaking for everyone who've been staring at Minho all that time.

"I don't have an opinion." Minho replied slowly, earning a disappointed look from Yeji.

It's another dead end after all, they will have to investigate elsewhere.

"You know what," Jeongin remembered suddenly.

Minho's eyes turned back to the other, questioning. _What?_

"I remembered I don't want anything to do with these cases." Jeongin announced, turning on his heel and disappearing down the hallway.

Minho sighed. Well, fair enough.

This could easily mean trouble for all involved, after all.

.

Jisung stretched slightly, gaze focused on the notebook in front of him. No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't feel satisfied with the eyes scattered across the page. None of them were expressive the right way, none were-

Not one of them like Minhos.

The professor chuckled, startling him. "Jisung, have you written anything down at all this class?"

Jisung blushed, not bothering to cover the page. The prof already knew him, anyway.

"I couldn't focus, I'm sorry. You know I'm like this, art history can't hold my attention when there are pens and papers around." He admitted.

"That's fine, as long as you pass my class. How are your paintings doing?" The professor asked, and for a moment Jisung was filled with feelings of gratitude.

"I got some offers for the ones in the show! I didn't think it would happen, but it did. I turned them all down like you told me."

The professor hummed. "Your paintings give off a very unique vibe. First spread your name around some, you can start selling when you have a couple more pieces out."

Jisung nodded happily. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity!" He thanked again, as he had a million times before.

The other smiled, petting Jisung's head in a fatherly way. "No problem. Your work always interested me- and speaking of which," he paused, drawing back his hand.

"Did you come up with anything new?"

Jisung's eyes sparked and he pulled out his phone, quickly showing his prof the new art of some cats and roads at night. "Isn't it pretty?"

The professor hummed, eyes glowing with pride. "These are very good, you should add them to the show."

Jisung's smile widened. "Really?"

The professor hummed, stepping back. "The crowd will love them. I don't just offer this to anyone, you know."

Jisung bowed, keening at the compliments. This was how he wanted to make his living, after all.

At the sound of his ringtone Jisung apologized, stepping out of the near empty lecture hall with his bag in hand.

"Hello?"

On the other end of the line, Changbin made a frustrated groan.

"Jisung, where are you? Class begins in five minutes." He informed, startling the other.

"I'll run, I can make it." He promised, hanging up and making a dash for the other building.

"OOf!" the other groaned as Jisung ran right into him.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry-" Jisung apologized, eyes widening when he recognized the other.

"Minho?" He asked, startled by the fading bruise on the other's face.

Minho made a sound, just as startled. He still wasn't in speaking condition- at least he didn't trip on his hand.

"What happened to you?" Jisung fumed, reaching over to touch the older's face. If he was late to class before, now it has left his mind completely.

Minho flinched, eyes expressing what he didn't want to say.

"What happened to your hand?"

Minho squinted. What's with his worry?

"You don't want to talk?"

He nodded. No.

Jisung sighed, eyes tired. "I want to beat them up. Whoever did this to you, I'll kill them."

Nice wording there, Minho thought.

He took out his phone, entering his chat with Jisung and turning the screen so Jisung could see the message he sent him.

"What? Why is that important? Did he do this to you?" Jisung asked, confused.

Minho took back his phone, typing in a message. At the ping Jisung pulled out his own, the two boys standing in front of each other and conversing solely through texts anyway.

"You don't know Gumri then?"

"I do know him, but why are you asking?" Jisung typed back, eyes glancing up at Minho.

"Were you in the same class? I'm asking for a friend." Minho replied.

"No. I hate that guy, I think everybody hated him in our year."

Minho sighed. You don't say.

"Do you know a way to contact him?" He ask-typed.

"Why?"

"For a friend." Minho insisted.

"I can only ignore one thing at a time. Either you tell me what happened to you, or tell me why you're looking for resident asshole."

Minho sighed, eyes finding Jisung's again.

"My friend called me, her stalker was acting up so I came to make sure she's okay, but instead ended up fighting him. The prosecution has him now." He explained.

Jisung made a soft noise, reaching again to stroke the sensitive skin under Minho's eye.

Feeling the pain lessen, Minho almost forgot to move away.

"Speak up", He typed.

"We used to go to the same church. He's been absent for a few weeks, but nobody seemed worried about it so I assume they keep in touch. You can try to catch him there."

Minho looked interested at that. Analyzing Jisung's wording, he decided to leave him be this time around.

"Can you take me there?" He asked.

"I can." Jisung replied, turning off his phone and offering Minho a hand. He hesitated a moment before putting his own phone away and taking it, letting Jisung lead him like a child.

"It's on campus, not far. We can walk there." Jisung explained, moving to intertwine his fingers with Minhos. "fifteen minutes tops, ten from the dorms."

Does he live in the dorms? Minho wanted to ask.

"If you get in trouble again call me, this is driving me crazy." Jisung added after a while.

"What can you do?" Minho spoke, the other giving him a surprised look.

"Good, he speaks. What can I do? I'd grab a metal bat and beat the life out of them. No one's allowed to touch you, Minho."

The other shivered, sensing the edge of possessiveness showing. They were barely friends, and yet-

It was what it was, he guessed.

That was all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ how's your week been going, beloved readers? I'm really busy, but I keep thinking out more and more ideas!  
> please leave any theories and ideas below, I live for them <3


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roses are red, violets are blue,  
> Minho is whipped and Jisung is too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this one friends, don't worry it's only one line for plot:  
> antisemitism tw  
> yeah I know I hate that too

"So, what did the pastor say?" Jae asked, one hand tipping his glasses upward slightly.

"He didn't give a lot of information, but what he did say was interesting." Minho replied, recalling his memories of their visit to church.

Arriving there the two unlinked their hands, both feeling a tad flustered and anxious.

"This is where I attend, I know you're not big on these things but I like it, so please bear with me." Jisung requested, suddenly self-conscious.

"How did you know?" Minho asked slowly, surprise seeping into his voice.

"I notice you, how you react to things. I don't know if you're an atheist, but this is my religion." Jisung explained, as if he feared criticism.

Minho's breath hitched, mind rushing to come up with reassurance. "You are who you are, I'm friends with that person."

Jisung blinked, eyes trying to pick on negativity. When he couldn't find it he smiled, shoulders losing their tension.

"Alright." He accepted, smile growing when Minho returned it.

Minho realized then he was at least a little bit screwed.

.

Stepping into church Minho looked around, taking in the beauty of the tinted glass windows. If nothing else, churches never failed to show how far humans could go with faith in their hearts- creating such beautiful structures to pray in.

Noticing the confession stand Minho exhaled, wondering how such a place could host the evil that was Gumri every sunday, right alongside Jisung.

The thought sent shivers down his spine.

Speaking to the pastor had been… odd. Not only did the kind old man keep praising Gumri, he also claimed they hadn't kept in touch despite being close. When asked about the move, the pastor only sighed.

"That bright child, he was looking to move abroad. His art couldn't thrive here, so he bought plane tickets and said his goodbyes. I hadn't heard from him since, but I wish him well."

Minho stared.

Plane tickets?

Thanking the pastor he turned, pausing near Jisung who seemed deep in practice. The colorful light shone bright, tinting his bright hair in a rainbow; His earrings glimmered, eyes closed and moving slightly under his lashes.

For a moment, Minho could feel his heart stop. Breathtaking, that's one word for it- for him, the way Minho who never believed in angels found his closest encounter that instance at church, ten seconds that felt like forever to him.

"You boys are special, I've felt Jisung's heart before but never expected him to bring another." The pastor spoke up behind them.

"I hope to see you again." He expressed. Minho gulped, averting his eyes from the sight. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that will happen in the near future." He apologized, choosing honesty.

"That's okay, if you change your mind you are always welcomed here." The older settled.

What an interesting man.

Noticing Jisung's eyes open, Minho took a step to rest his hand on the younger's shoulder.

"Let's go." He requested.

Jisung blinked away his thoughts, turning back to the beautiful man beside him.

"Okay." He replied, smiling calmly. This was his comfortable place, but in a choice between here and with Minho, he was a little too gone to hesitate.

The two took their leave with Jisung encouraged.

"Thank you, for respecting me." He voiced, side-eyeing the other.

"Of course I do. I'm surprised he didn't say anything about my face." Minho replied with a text, feeling oddly calm as well despite the new information.

"He's always like this. He was quick to accept me when I came out, others too." Jisung confessed, earning a look of surprise.

"A pastor?" Minho asked aloud, confused.

"That's what surprised you, ah. I guess I'm obvious. Are you gay, too?" Jisung asked, Minho nodding in reply.

"Okay. Yeah, he's a pastor, but he's so different from the others- he only wishes well for everyone. Even Gumri," Jisung added, sounding exasperated.

Minho tapped his phone, showing the message to Jisung with a pout.

"You have class? Won't you stay for a bit?" Jisung complained, eyes shaking Minho's resolve.

The blond ditched class for him too, but Minho didn't need to know that.

"Sorry." Minho said, feeling pain strike through his jaw. He really shouldn't be talking so much.

Jisung let out a short sigh of disappointment, wondering if Minho would allow a hug before giving up on the idea.

"I guess I'll see you around? Text me." He requested, feeling as if he was having a withdrawal.

Minho nodded, waving goodbye before taking off running in the other direction.

It really didn't feel like enough.

.

"So, he was planning to move abroad? He bought tickets?" Jae summarized. Minho nodded, wondering what Jae would make of it.

"That explains why he had no furniture left. He was a student though, would he really disappear without a trace? At the very least he should have dropped out first."

That's the problem, then.

"We have to check his spending account, if there's record of a taxi to the airport." He insisted. That would settle it, wouldn't it?

"We checked already. It was a dead end, the last place he traveled to was the hotel." Jae shot him down, as quick as ever.

"Well, maybe the ginger person dropped him off. Can we check to see if he purchased tickets?" Minho attempted again.

"Tickets don't explain why he didn't drop out." Jae threw back.

"We can check if he boarded it, at least." Minho challenged.

Jae hesitated, and Minho couldn't help but feel as if he's won.

"Okay, okay let's check. But let's assume for a moment that he has, did leave the country." Jae built on.

"That might mean he's still alive." Minho replied.

"With a lot of debt, and no phone." Jae noted.

"Oh, right." Minho shrunk, feeling his confidence leave him.

"Whether he did or didn’t board that flight, we may as well pronounce him dead." Jae stated grimly. If Gumri was alive, he had no intent of coming back.

Minho sighed, good hand running down his face. His eye was still sensitive, but at least his jaw wasn't that bad anymore.

"Hyung listen, nevermind that, there are only a few places he could be. Either with the ginger somehow, or abroad, or dead somewhere in the middle."

Jae hummed. "You're assuming nobody killed him."

Minho grimaced. "You think so?" He asked in a pained tone.

"It could be. Then they might have gotten rid of the evidence." Jae continued.

"That's horrible, I rather not make that my go-to theory." Minho replied.

"You should keep an open mind. You might be on to something with the church too, since that pastor spoke so highly of him. It's suspicious", Jae started, Minho rushing to nod his head.

"Please don't interrogate the pastor, he's a kind man." He pleaded, mind taking on the image of Jisung as he spoke of the man.

"He's a pastor, you should know better than me how they don't deserve the grilling."

Jae stared, blinking at Minho for a moment. "Alright, I do know. Minho, is everything alright?"

Minho let out an exhale, nodding sincerely. "I'm a little stressed, that's all."

Jae hummed, eyes worried. "Take five if you need to, we want your mind in top condition." He said, playing cool.

"Thanks, hyung. I think I will." Minho replied, standing up from his chair.

Maybe he should check up on Ryu.

Somewhere down the hallway a door opened, Jeongin rushing out and making his way towards the chairs.

"Innie?" Minho questioned, slightly hurt at not being greeted. "What's wrong?"

Jeongin sulked, hands folded neatly on his chest.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He lied through his teeth.

Minho blinked, unused to the hostility. Even flustered, the younger usually stood on the cuter side.

"Should I not ask about it?" He checked, earning a pout.

"Don't." The younger confirmed.

"Alright."

Silence spread across the office, Jae awkward at the other's tension.

"I'm going to look for Brian, please, both of you, go home if it's bad. Your moods, I mean." Jae requested.

Minho nodded, taking his leave.

.

Entering his apartment Minho threw aside his bag, picking up the first cat in his path.

"Soonie, why are things like this?" He complained, earning a confused yowl.

He sighed, walking over to the bed and sitting down to bury his face in soft fur.

"I'm tired." He claimed, lifting his head again to gaze out of the window down to the city's streets.

"But I don't want to sleep," He added after a thought. "I want it to end." An important correction.

Soonie purred, moving to stretch in his thigh.

"Everything. Gumri, Jisung, college, the internship, but what then? What else do I have to do when it's over?" He questioned.

Dori meowed, wiggling a bit before jumping onto his bed.

"Maybe I should run away from here. Go be a pet shop owner, hm?" He suggested. "No one will know where I went, only Ryujin and maybe Hyunjin and Felix."

His phone buzzed, as if responding to the offer.

Minho inhaled, checking his messages. The last was from Jeongin, apologizing for their exchange.

"I think Chan is mad at me, that's why. I'm sorry I was inappropriate, I don't like to feel childish like that."

Minho's gaze softened, feeling bad for the younger.

"How about I treat you out sometime, hm? I don't like seeing you sad either." He typed, hitting send.

"Jeongin can know too," He informed, cats looking only mildly interested.

"I wish I could figure out this case already." He whined. "april 19th… It's been nine to ten days since he was reported missing."

How grim.

Having decided not to work anymore today, Minho scolded his mind for going places with Gumri's case. No, he was supposed to relax. This ordeal was stressing him out.

Still he wondered, if anything could be found, it definitely wouldn't be found investigating suspects. There were so many who were out for the guy, it would be a waste of time trying to narrow it down.

He should first rule out the other options, at least.

Following that trail of thought Minho laid down, eyes baring holes into the ceiling with a cat's tail rubbing against his cheek.

"I checked the fountain, I should check the area around the hotel too... Around his apartment and around the airports, it might take a while."

Turning to stuffle his face in a cat, the late sun lit a clear font on a whiteboard.

Example number two: Paul Gauguin

Notable works: The Yellow Christ, Riders on the Beach, Tahitian Woman with a Flower, Spirit of the Dead Watching.

Background: Born in paris at 1848, Gauguin played a part in the impressionistic movement. Raised in unfavorable circumstances, he married only to leave his family behind when they rejected his aspiration to pursue art.

In a later stage of life Gaugin moved to seek out aspiration in Tahiti, where he married a local. Gaugin's art has been greatly influenced by his environment, and he kept on creating pieces leading up to his death in 1903.

Minho opened his eyes, considering the sight. On the one hand he knew it was nothing but his mind playing tricks, but on the other he realized that this, whatever it was, was information he's never read before in his life.

His stomach growled and he frowned, pulling out his phone to order takeout. Today was definitely not a cook day.

A message from Hyunjin drew his attention and he tapped it, reading the words carefully.

Another date with Jisung, huh?

Minho's frown deepened, thinking he's seen Jisung too often lately. Sure, some was his fault, and still.

He didn't like him and Hyunjin together.

"I'm in." He typed eventually. The offer was innocent, a large busking was taking place next week near the river, Jisung expressing he wanted to go.

Why not, even?

Minho twisted his face. He knew why not, that interest in Jisung was leading him places he wanted to keep as far away from as possible, yet he couldn't help that he wanted to go.

At least it's better than knowing they went without him.

He couldn't help but sigh at that thought as well.

.

Minho rested his bag to the side, looking for clothes to change into before class. The weather has picked up slightly in the last few days, meaning he could no longer dance in his hoodie.

"Hyung, did you bring shorts this time? It's been a while since I saw you in them." Felix teased, chin peeking over his shoulder.

Minho groaned. "It's too warm, really- why don't you bother Hyunjin? Tell him to stop wearing hats to practice."

Felix huffed. "Am I bothering you? Hyunjin seems busy." He replied, earning a look over his shoulder.

"What is he up to now? Class is about to start in a few." He pointed with slight annoyance.

"He's talking to some people, a boy and a girl. They don't seem interesting." Felix explained.

"We'll have to pick him up for the dressing room." Minho noted.

Turning around Minho hunted Hyunjin with his eyes. The boy was leaning on the wall just outside, lips spread in a wide smile.

"Come on." He gestured, Felix following close. As they got nearer Minho realized the situation, stopping right in his tracks.

"Guys!" Hyunjin waved. "Felix, you hadn't met Jisung yet have you?"

Minho gaped, mood shifting between betrayal and panic. There he was, in all his beautiful glory, the person he's been trying to think about less.

"Oh, this is Jisung? I've heard of you, actually." Felix replied, making an expression that Minho was unable to catch with his gaze focused on the other. Again time seemed to freeze when he looked back.

"Really? Did I mention him to you?" Hyunjin asked with slight confusion.

"Minho," Felix supplied, and Minho could only register the blinding smile sent his way.

"Oh, okay. This is Jisung then, and this is his... friend? Daerin?" Hyunjin recalled. The girl nodded, bowing slightly with her head.

"What are you doing here?" Minho asked, maintaining eye contact.

"We came to visit you guys. We have a class on Edgar Degas next week, so I thought it would be neat to paint some dancers. I have a few drawings like that, but none from live references. Daerin's here because she wanted to try, too."

Minho blinked hard, feeling an unexplained urge to step closer. "Uh, Well I, I'm going to change, so."

Jisung flustered, moving away to make a path for the older to walk through.

Felix followed him down the hall, entering the dressing room immediately after.

"I can't believe you lied to me." He complained.

"What?" Minho asked, slightly distressed while slipping on his shorts with one arm.

"You have a crush on that guy, you do." Felix elaborated.

Minho glared at the wall, nearly stabbing his toe on a chair's leg.

"That's not my- that's Hyunjin's crush. I told you, he has a crush on him." He explained with his remaining patience.

"Hyung, Hyunjin has a crush on everyone. He's a very open hearted person, but you're very specific. I don't think I've seen it before, Minho hyung with a crush. It's so weird, like a phenomenon."

Minho took a moment to calm down his crippling annoyance. "I don't like him. He's been showing up everywhere I go, it's making me anxious." He lied through his teeth.

Felix's smile dropped. "Is it like that? Hyung, Do you want me to step in?"

Minho nodded negatively, guilt taking over. "No, he's not bothering me, It's just that with my job I don't like running into the same people without reason."

Felix made a noise. "He's fishy? Seemed like a nice guy."

Minho hummed. "He is nice. I'm not sure how to go about him." He ended, finally dressed. His sprain made it hard to do basic tasks, but as long as he took it easy he'd be fine. It's only been three days, so he had to be careful.

"Are you sure you're good to dance?" Felix asked after a pause, as if reading his mind.

"I'm good. I can't have the instructor get ahead of herself thinking I'm fragile." Minho replied, stretching lightly.

"Let's head back."

.

Dancing in front of Jisung had proved near impossible. Realistically Minho knew he was still sporting a black eye, yet the other was staring at him so intensely it made him fidget a little.

The girl accompanying him, Daerin, was revealed as a shy yet hostile person. She kept quiet for the most part, speaking her mind only when the group practiced to a song by Adam Lavigne.

"Pass, pass that song. I can't draw like this." She requested, faced with a few confused glances.

"Why? our group has been practicing this song for a while." Hyunjin asked, cut off by the instructor changing the song.

"I hate those people." She mumbled, proceeding in her work.

Around the middle point the instructor paused, halting everyone to showcase the faults in Minho's dance, which he's been taking easier due to his sprain.

Flushing slightly in embarrassment at the treatment with Jisung present, Minho turned his eyes to the floor and let her go off.

"Excuse me," A voice trailed.

Oh god.

"Do you mind demonstrating that a bit slower?" Jisung asked, giving his best smile to the woman. If Minho wasn't as surprised as he was, he would have felt betrayed at the notion.

He raised his canvas, using an unnerving amount of charm to make her yield, staring intently when she agreed and repeated her actions.

"Didn't you say earlier that they have to keep their arms straight? That didn't seem very straight to me, but I might be, you know, just an artist. What do I know of straight lines?" Jisung joked, eyes murderous.

The instructor flustered, swallowing before demonstrating again.

"Ah, but, didn't you say earlier, when they squat they should make sure their legs don't shake? I must have misunderstood." Jisung commented again, pretending to sketch down the details.

A little too late Minho realized, the other has been livid.

"This step is difficult to execute perfectly slowed down." The instructor shot back with spite.

"Oh I see, I guess, if you're handicapped, I should have gone easy on you." Jisung said aloud, eyes glaring down at his sketchbook.

The instructor stared, face red.

"Alright, class, back to it then. Don't slack off." She dismissed, long ponytail flipping over her shoulder as she walked away to restart the music.

Minho let out a short breath, eyes wide and staring at Jisung, the other seemingly sketching still.

Somewhere behind him, Felix coughed.

At the end of class the five met in the middle, Daerin and Felix hanging behind.

"Wow, Ji, you really went off." Hyunjin noted with a smile. "Nobody's ever that brave with her, I've been dying to defend Minho every class."

Jisung frowned. "She does that a lot?" He asked, and Minho couldn't decide if his heart skipped with endearment or fear at the other's anger.

"She always bullies him, he's a minor in a major's group. I bet she's just dying to get him out of here." Hyunjin supplied with a pout.

Jisung looked a little surprised at the information, and Minho suddenly recalled hiding that fact from him before.

"And anyway, Daerin what- the song thing, what was that about?" Minho cut him off, attempting to change the subject.

"He's a jew." She said simply, shuffling her case and stepping away. "I'm leaving. Today was really unproductive, Jisung, it was a bad idea." She muttered before walking out.

The four gaped.

"I swear I had no idea." Jisung was the first to break the silence. "I don't relly know her outside of class, anyway."

Well, at least the distraction worked.

"…Right. Ji, do you want to hang out after this? We should go shower but then we usually have around fifteen minutes left to next class." Hyunjin offered.

Ji, Minho noted he called him, not for the first time.

"I need to get some work done, this class really wasn't productive." Jisung apologized, turning his sketchbook to show a torn up page he had scrawled on harshly.

"So this is what you've been doing? I thought you were drawing something." Hyunjin huffed, finding it funny. Felix huffed, laying his Chin on Minho's shoulder to express his boredom.

"Ew, sticky, shower first." Minho complained, pushing Felix away lightly when he noticed Jisung's gaze on him.

He tried to tell himself it was to keep Felix under the radar for now. The radar of dangerous, mysterious criminal Jisung.

Not very convincing, that first part.

Rejecting the mindset that thought had to offer he straightened himself, pushing back his dark hair to reveal his forehead. The action drew more interest from the other, causing him to let it drop back.

"…I'll be, leaving. Now. Heh." Jisung parted awkwardly, running a hand through his own hair. "See you soon?"

Minho paused, allowing Hyunjin to answer in his stead. "Yeah, for the busking, we'll pick you up. See you then!" He waved, Jisung turning slowly and sparing Minho another look.

Felix sighed.

.

"Oh! Felix, you're also invited." Hyunjin remembered when they entered the showers.

"How nice to be included." The other retorted. "I can't go. I don't know when this is, leave me out of your love triangle."

Minho's breath hitched, looking to Hyunjin.

"What are you even talking about? Minho doesn't like Jisung. I have to drag him along every time." Hyunjin replied without missing a beat.

Felix huffed a laughter, snorting a little when it bloomed into full on giggles.

"Smooth." He said eventually, and Minho wondered if there was something he was missing.

"Shut up." Hyunjin threw back, turning off the water stream.

And just like that they were over the topic.

.

"Alright, what's going on?" Minho started.

The two have met in a barbeque place near the station, Minho intending to treat the younger as promised when he noticed his mood was sullen again.

"It's just, hyung, I don't know what I did. He says hi as normal, but then acts as if I'm not there. He won't look at me, won't ask questions or play… What changed? Why is he so cold?" Jeongin spilled, shrinking down in his chair.

Oh.

"Innie, you know you two have a big age gap." Minho started.

"Four years isn't that much! My parents have a wider gap." Jeongin replied, defending his case.

"Do you think that's what it's about?" He added, fearful of the answer.

"I'm pretty sure. Your parents didn't meet at nineteen, did they? You're a bit young. You don't exactly look your age though."

Jeongin sighed, looking down at the meat sadly.

"It's not a lot. He didn't have a problem with it before, so why now?"

Minho hummed. "I don't think he knew." He replied.

At this Jeongin seemed close to tears. "Do you think he doesn't like me anymore?" He mumbled, voice trembling.

"I'm sure he likes you, but he might think it's a bad idea. I think it's a bad idea too." Minho attempted, not wanting to promise comfort he can't give.

"But I like him, what's the point?" The younger sniffed, frustrated.

"That's the point. You should find someone else to flirt with, someone your age." Minho informed, immediately worrying he might be coming off harsher than intended.

Jeongin sighed, feeling visibly despaired. Was it so important? The two hadn't known each other for so long, and sure their relationship won't proceed, but they can stay friends, can't they?

"I… I never had anyone look at me like that, before. I didn't like anyone." Jeongin confessed slowly.

"At first it was weird- he kept staring and it felt like I'm special to him, pretty or important, it was so warm. I kept thinking about him, and you know, that is why. Even now, I can't not like him." He continued, and suddenly Minho felt kinship like he hadn't ever before.

So it was that hard on him after all. First love is an entirely different story, and although Minho never had his, he had his own frustrations right now.

"Hey, an age gap is minor. If you like each other, you can work something out for sure." He encouraged, changing his mind.

"Really…?" the younger trailed, grasping at straws.

"Really. Listen, Chan is being a coward right now, but you can show him you like him. Make sure he can't ignore you anymore." Minho proposed,

"Be assertive."

"Yeah."

"Determined."

"Yes."

Jeongin paused, looking at Minho and seeming a little better than before.

"I can do that." He accepted.

"Good. Eat your skewers." Minho ordered, the younger picking one up and biting it harshly, showing his resolve.

"Good boy." Minho praised, Picking up his own food.

This might have been highly destructive to his friends, but he couldn't find it in himself to change his mind. In fact, compared to what he was facing, it did seem like their issues were minor.

"Hyung."

Minho looked up again, facing the younger's worried expression.

"Yeah?" He responded, train of thought cut and disposed of.

"Thank you. You're always good to me, but I keep doing this." He apologized, catching Minho off guard.

"Yeah? I try- I know you're a brat, that's part of your charm." Minho accepted, smiling lightly. Reaching out he pet the younger's hair, noting with affection how natural it felt when usually he'd only do so to Ryu.

"Are you happy? Right now." Jeongin asked, surprising Minho once again.

He hummed. "That's for Minho hyung to worry about. Let's solve this case, then we'll see."

Jeongin took another bite, staring at him with interest. It was good to see, like that he seemed to be distracted.

"Are the cases so important to you? That you'll only be satisfied when they're solved." He wondered aloud.

"That's not it exactly. It's more that, I can't get comfortable thinking about it. Somewhere out there a person is waiting for me, and I'm the only one who can help them." He explained, wondering if it made any sense to the younger.

"I think you're cut out well for this job. If something happened to me, and I knew you were out there looking, I think… Yes. That's reassuring."

Minho felt his breath hitch, taking the words to heart. "Nothing is going to happen to you. You'll be safe and sound at the station, and if anyone tries anything you can show them those high kicks from self defense class, yeah?" He asserted.

Jeongin smiled, lines of pretty teeth showing. If he had to guess, Minho would bet he's had braces before.

"Do you want to investigate after this? I know you're not allowed to go alone." The younger offered, changing the topic again.

"I had a few ideas where I want to go, but it might be a waste of time for you. It's just to cross them off from the list." Minho explained.

"I don't mind. We're hanging out anyway, and I don't feel like going with Chan." He added, smile dropping half way.

"Alright, sure. How about the hotel? I wanted to look around it in places where someone could drag a body." Minho hurried to provide a distraction.

"That sounds so morbid." Jeongin complained. "Isn't that area creepy as well?"

Minho huffed a laughter. "We don't have to go." He assured.

"Let's go. We can post some pictures on Instagram too!" Jeongin offered, eyes sparking.

"Ah."

"What?" Jeongin asked, visibly confused.

"Nevermind that, finish your food."

.

Jisung stood, startling Changbin who had been sitting next to him and finishing up his own few pieces of music.

"Can you not do that every time?" The older asked, earning a blunt "No." from his best friend.

"What are you seeing, oh great old one? Art inspiration for the new masterpiece of the century?"

Jisung shuffled in place, not at all amused.

"I had a lot of ideas." He announced, staring blankly at air.

"Okay, that's the usual. I thought you were falling asleep, but I guess not." Changbin noted.

"Some were scary. Changbin, I should stop watching all those buzzfeed unsolved videos. This just now was way too descriptive; I don't think I want to draw it. I might need a hug, even, that scary."

Changbin cooed, hesitating before opening his arms to Jisung. The two didn't hug a lot, but when they did, he only gave the best hugs he could master.

"Do you want to draw any of it?" He asked in a small voice, babying the younger.

"Maybe that place." Jisung replied, vague as ever. "Or the outside."

Changbin hummed, patting his back. "Your creativity is ahead of you", He joked.

"Sometimes I feel like it's not me at all." The blond confessed. "Is that weird?"

"I get what you mean." Changbin hurried to reassure. "It does look a bit weird to an outsider. It's like you're a genius, the gifted Han Jisung."

Jisung huffed. "Gifted, sure. You're saying I'm weird, is what I'm getting."

Changbin snorted. "Yeah."

Jisung tore from the hug, ready to fight. "Hey!"

"It isn't my fault, you were born weird. Don't you have an assignment to do?" The older reminded.

"I do." Jisung sighed, turning to his tablet with a pout.

"You're going to have to go over these some time."

He was right and Jisung knew it, but still.

"Hyung, you remember the busking we talked about, right?" He asked.

"I do. I'm going to be there, so don't worry." Changbin asserted.

"I know, but I'm nervous. The guy I really like is going to be watching, and I feel like I might make a fool out of myself trying to impress him."

Changbin hummed. "That Lee Minho?"

"Yeah." Jisung nodded. "You should have seen him dance- even though he wasn't at his best, and even in shorts and a t shirt, it's like the other dancers had nothing on him. I kept wanting to get up and touch," Jisung ranted, cutting himself off.

Changbin made a disgusted noise, earning a slap to his thigh. "Ow, what did I do?"

"You're annoying, I'm frustrated." Jisung elaborated.

"Would it hurt you to treat me with respect? I'm older than you." Changbin reminded.

"Only physically." Jisung challenged.

"Physically is good enough. Or do you want to try arm wrestling again?" The older suggested with a smirk, wiping Jisung's own off his face.

"No way." He replied, surrendering immediately. "My arm is sore just thinking about it."

"Then get back to your work." Changbin encouraged. Jisung huffed, following his example.

If only he could get his thoughts back in order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to my favorite readers! How was your week? did you spend it well? Let me know~  
> I think I did fairly well.  
> As for the chapter, yes-  
> Minho?? Letting his crush affect his decision making skills? never!  
> Also jeongchan nation how are we feeling?


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourself for the most angsty yet progressive chapter so far!~

Looking left and right, nothing could be seen through the suffocating darkness. He ran, fear and adrenaline driving him forward- never knowing where, only that he had to run for his life from the essence right on his tail.

He tripped, painlessly scraping his hands and knees on the rough ground before pushing himself up to keep running. In the distance, a lighthouse shone.

Reaching the lighthouse he climbed, stair after stair after stair. An endless staircase that led up to a room, staffed with an old closet that creaked under his hands. Frantic he hid, closing the doors behind him and freezing in place, terrified to make a sound.

Through the rotting wood Minho could see the moonlight trailing from the single window in the room. He closed his eyes, shaking at the sound of footsteps.

Tap,

tap,

tap.

He raised a hand to his mouth, desperate to keep in the sounds of his hitched breath. Right there in the room stood the angel of death, scythe at his side and cloak trailing shortly. 

Minho never had nightmares like these.

He cried, feeling the bites of a thousand mites crawling on his skin. He couldn't run, couldn't move to leave the closet, and frankly he'd rather be eaten alive than face the entity that occupied the room.

"Minho." He froze at his name, nearly calling out in despair.

"Minho it's just me." He continued.

Minho choked, the stench of old roadkill filling his nose. "Leave me alone." He begged, knowing he was found.

"What are you running from?" Jisung's voice continued, soft and comforting.

"You. I can't do this, Jisung, just go."

The other stepped forward, hand resting on the wood of the closet door from the other side.

"It's always been hard for us, in every lifetime. I won't let you go." He persisted.

"Please go." Minho begged, more desperate than ever. "I don't want to see you right now."

Jisung choked, hand leaving the wood. "You don't mean that."

"I do."

The other sighed, stepping away and making his path to the room's end.

"I don't like this sort of dream either." He informed, taking a step out the window.

Alone at last.

Minho sighed, opening the doors and shaking off the mites. Realizing he was now by himself, a sense of false peace took over and he climbed up some more stairs to reach the top. The light of the big lamp was blinding, Challenging the moonlight and shining through the fog.

From up here, the ground was not seen.

"Minho." A sudden voice called, freezing the blood in his veins.

"Chelle?" He asked, looking around frantically. He got so far, it couldn't end like this-

"I can't believe it." A voice called, this one of a young girl.

"With him? You've got no shame. You should die, get a taste" A man spit, and Minho could feel an ice grip making its way around his throat.

"Wait! Wait-" Minho tried to yell, feeling the grip pulling him over the railing.

"Do it! Do it Gumri!" Chelle yelled, and then he was falling, down, down into the darkness- screaming, fear and helplessness embracing him like fog.

Minho woke up.

"Fuck!" He screamed, wiping his tears and jumping to open up the window. The air was refreshing, but the sight of how high up he was sent his head spinning and he stumbled back, vision blurring.

He can't take much longer of this.

.

Telling Jae was hard, unlike it has ever been before. He could vividly remember the other's reaction, the way his voice strained and stressed.

"I will be there. It's going to be okay, I'm on my way."

.

Reaching the hotel with Jeongin, Minho only had half a mind for investigating. It hadn't been much, an area that was scanned already by their crew- no leads for Gumri's location.

The receptionist received them warmly, quickly turning annoyed when they learned the two were of the investigation unit.

"Don't you guys have work to do? Right, of course you do, but will you do it? No! You come and you go, but us workers hadn't seen a penny from what that bastard owed here! All you do is get into fights, don't think I didn't notice your black eye."

Minho frowned, upset under the harsh words.

"We're doing our best, you should be more worried for the man who's gone missing-" He attempted, cut off by the receptionist.

"What about us? We're victims here, too! You assholes at the police never care when it comes to things that matter. I called a week ago, they told me to get a toe truck myself! You think I have the money for that? It's your job, not Mine!"

Minho glanced at Jeongin, the younger rolling his eyes.

"Sir, if you get a car stuck, it's only natural to call a haul, right?" He attempted.

"It's not my car!" The receptionist yelled, face red. "It's been parked here for god knows how long, down the parking lot. Parking may be free, but it's meant for guests in our hotel, and that does not belong to our guests."

Minho gaped, breath hitching. "How do you know?" He asked.

"Because, god, you're so stupid- it's been there since forever."

Minho turned, eyes wide. To his side Jeongin checked his nails, looking unfazed.

"Innie, wait here. Sir, do you mind showing me? I'll call a toe truck for you." He promised.

"Hyung?" Jeongin looked up at the same time the receptionist yelled "Finally!"

They rushed out, Minho urging the younger not to follow. If nothing else he hoped he wouldn't get to see it.

"Right there. Go ahead." The receptionist pointed when they reached the outside parking lot, gesturing towards an old blue Toyota in the back corner of the lot, a fair distance from where they stood.

Had Minho believed in god, that would be a fair moment to start praying.

The birds chirped, making the eerie scene feel unfittingly casual. Looking up he saw the blue sky and wondered why it had to be here of all places. After this that hotel, he would never bear to look at.

"Sir, do you mind going back to check on my partner? I will be done in a few." Minho requested quietly. The receptionist huffed, turning on his heel and leaving Minho on his own. He stepped forward, dread filling him to the brim. This was it, then- It will end now.

Walking up to the car, Minho had to take deep breaths to fight off his nausea. He pulled out his cellphone, punching in the numbers as his eyes met again with the figure inside.

A toe truck isn't the one for the job, he figured.

Not when there was a corpse in the car.

.

Things have been easier after Jae arrived, Minho let himself rely on the older man- knowing at moments like these it was Jae who knew what to do, who had the most experience.

"You've done well, Minho. Your part is over, you can rest." He comforted, eyes saddened. "Go home, take a shower and watch some cat videos. God knows you need it, a good nap too."

Which is how Minho winded up here.

He took a deep breath, peeling off his sweat soaked sheets for wash. He had only slept for less than two hours, but he already knew he won't manage any more.

Running his hands through his hair he pulled slightly, thinking about today despite desperately trying not to.

Gosh, what a day.

Counting the time, Minho knew Gumri had been missing for right about eleven days. Had he died on the day of his disappearance, that still placed him in a stage of decay where he could get an autopsy.

He wasn't too late.

He was too late to save him.

Minho forced down a sob, the voices from his nightmare petrifying him again.

A noise startled him farther, almost making him yell when he noticed it was only Dori who jumped on the counter.

He exhaled, dropping the sheets to rush over and gather her in his arms.

"Dori, what do I do?" He asked, voice breaking. "Nothing is good enough, I did everything, I even found him."

Dori purred, rubbing her head on his bare neck comfortingly. It was then he snapped, burying his face in fur.

"But, he was dead." Minho cried, tears spilling again.

"He was dead, his eyes were open and I," He sobbed, panicked and distressed.

"I'm so alone, Dori, I'm scared." He cried. "I'm alone."

Behind him Soonie meowed, jumping to join the two on the counter.

"I can't stop, but I can't do this, I want to die." He continued, sobbing harshly.

Dori meowed loudly, alarmed.

"But I can't, I can't and I can't and I can't. I can't do anything, I'm stuck. I feel so helpless, Dori, I'm so helpless. I don't even have friends, I can't talk to anyone. I'm so helpless and lonely."

Minho straightened again, turning to see Doongie rubbing against his feet.

"I love you so much." He choked out, realizing all three were now by his side. "I should treat you. How does tuna sound? Let me get you some tuna."

Making his miserable way towards the kitchen he pulled out three cans, opening them with effort and treating his family. That's what they were, these three- family.

"I don't know how to feel better." He confessed, wiping his face from tears and snot. "I don't even know what I want."

On que his phone buzzed, a message incoming.

"Hyung, are you okay? Today was really scary." Jeongin typed. Checking the time, it was right around midnight.

"Go sleep, maknae. Hyung is just fine." He lied bluntly in text. Checking for more messages he ignored Jisung's, opening his Chat with Felix instead.

"Lix-ah, are you awake?"

He waited a moment, the chat lighting back up almost immediately with a ping.

"I am, hyung, is everything alright?"

Minho exhaled, sitting with his legs crossed on the floor after his short yet intense breakdown.

"I'm okay, just bored." He lied, hoping for company.

"I have some memes I wanted to show you", Felix replied, getting the message.

Minho chuckled slightly, scrolling through the images.

"Hey, do you know anyone who's looking for a roommate?" He asked, immediately taking it back.

"Never mind, I don't think I could feel safe living with a stranger."

The typing bubble popped up, and Minho could practically see Felix frowning at his phone.

"I should set you up for a blind date some time. I said I wouldn't,"

A pause.

"Nevermind.

I think, you seem way too lonely."

Minho sighed, not having the strength to feel annoyed at the other.

"I don't have the time for dating. I have college, and the internship." He typed back.

"You shouldn't be wasting away like that. Live a little, hyung. Come on, I don't think I've ever seen you at a party."

Minho rolled his eyes, feeling a slight sting after crying. At least he remembered to take his lens out before sleeping.

"That's because I don't go. I don't like them, you know that."

Minho blinked, noticing Felix took his time before typing back.

"I texted Eric just now, he said you're invited to his party tomorrow."

Minho groaned, tilting his head back.

"He's younger than me too, isn't he? That's so embarrassing, Felix." He complained.

"He's my best friend! You shouldn't feel out of place there." Felix insisted, and Minho realized he forgot to reject the offer.

"I don't want to go." He informed, sniffing lightly. The apartment was quiet, not even the sounds of eating were heard as the cats all finished their tuna and left him.

"Go out, see people. You'll get lonely" Felix reasoned, and Minho could practically see his resolve shatter in front of him.

"Okay." He typed. "Say when and where."

Not four seconds passed before Felix replied, filling the chat with emojis and exclamation marks. "Really? Thank you thank you thank you!."

Minho hoped he wouldn't regret it.

.

Minho entered the office, heavily rubbing his aching head.

"Hyung! How are you?" Jeongin asked, volume causing Minho's frown to deepen. He took a moment to compose himself, sending Jeongin what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Young k shuffled his papers, tapping the files on the table to align them into an arranged pile.

"Alright, Minho. We don't need you to testify, since Jeongin did already, but I do want to update you on the case."

Minho raised his gaze, causing Young k to startle.

"How long have you slept? You look awful." He stated, standing up to put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Do you need a break? Go home." He offered.

Minho shook his head, nervous at the thought of being left alone. "I rather nap here, If I can." He requested.

"There's a bed in the holding cell," Young k began, Minho quick to refuse his offer. "I'd rather stay here, just, keep me company."

Silently Young k nodded, realizing Minho's intent.

"I'll go get some blankets." Jeongin mumbled, finally moving from where he froze back when his eyes first landed on the older.

When he got back Minho thanked him, taking the blankets and curling in the most comfortable chair the office had, which Just so happened to be Jae's favorite chair. It smelled like him, a little.

Eyes blurring Minho faintly made out the figure of Chan passing through, Jeongin reaching out and losing his courage in the last moment. Right, those two… They had their own problems.

.

Waking up, Minho realized, was just as painful as not sleeping.

His head ached, pain intensified by the creak in his neck. As comfy as the chair was, it wasn't meant for sleep.

The office had been empty, silent except for the faint sound of the call receptors from across the hall. Minho stood up, walking over in hopes of finding company again.

When he entered he exhaled, closing and leaning against the door. There were around four receptors on shift, Chan and Dowoon making two. He soaked in their presence, Chan turning and immediately taking off his headphones at the sight of him.

The blond turned off his receptor, putting aside the headphones and pulling Minho outside. They weren't allowed to speak in the receptors room, after all.

"Are you alright? Do you feel better?" He asked, worried, and Minho suddenly remembered that not unlike Jeongin, Chan was somewhat of a friend to him, too.

"I'm okay. Hyung, I don't want to stay alone." He confessed, hoping his honesty would make Chan stay.

"Okay. Wasn't Jeongin with you? What is he doing?" Chan asked, earning a small huff from the other. "You two are ridiculous, hyung."

Chan stared, looking mildly frustrated. "I made a mistake alright? Don't make it worse."

Well. That's one way to go about it, Minho figured.

"Let's go fix you something warm to drink. What would he be offering, ah, hot chocolate?" Chan offered, and Minho nodded with gratitude. The two stepped apart, walking side by side back to Minho's office.

"Hyung! I thought you left while I was out." Jeongin called out, raising from his chair. In his arms, Minho observed, were three bags of takeaway.

"How are you?" The younger proceeded, laying the bags on the table and rushing to grab one of the blankets left on the chair to hand the older, as if he seemed hurt and needed the comfort.

Minho assumed he did.

"I'm better. Thank you for worrying, you two." He thanked, smiling warmly.

Jeongin breathed in relief, glancing between the other two and the takeaway bags he bothered to get them.

"Ah.." He hesitated, gathering his nerves. "I bought food, some for Minho hyung, and,"

He paused, giving enough time for Minho to turn slightly. He'd definitely want to see Chan's expression for this, he realized.

"This is for you. I knew you were staying late, so." Jeongin added, carefully picking a bag and offering it to the shorter.

Chan's eyes hardened, slowly accepting the offer. "Thank you. How much is it?" He asked sternly, causing Jeongin to avert his eyes.

"Not much, ah, but hyung, It has a lot of vegetables. It's healthy, I was thinking, if you were a vegetable too," Jeongin replied, causing Minho's eyes to widen.

Don't say it. Don’t say it, Jeongin.

"You'd be a cutecumber." Jeongin finished, immediately inhaling in panic.

Minho gaped, eyes slowly moving to look at Chan.

The older was in a state of complete shock, eyes wide and blush spreading from his ears and cheeks all the way down his neck. He raised a hand to his face, almost dropping his takeout.

"Sorry." Jeongin apologized. It would seem, from everything that could have killed him, Minho would die of second hand embarrassment.

"Sorry." Chan mirrored, turning to powerwalk back to the receptors room with takeout in hand. It was only when the door closed that Jeongin let out a loud groaning noise.

Minho choked, still gaping. He shut his mouth, holding back the ugliest laughter the world has ever seen.

"Don't you dare laugh, hyung. You told me to be assertive." Jeongin complained, blushing horribly.

"I- t- w-" Minho started, unable to speak from how hard he was trying not to do exactly that.

"I'll have to try again." Jeongin resorted, earning a loud snort followed by all the giggles Minho was trying to hold back.

"At least you find this funny." Jeongin muttered, pouting.

"This is all you, I'm sorry. I said be assertive, you just pulled the most awkward pick up line out of nowhere." Minho defended.

"But now, when he eats, he'll think of me right? It would stay on his mind." Jeongin reasoned, sounding every bit the inexperienced boy he was.

"You're right, It's very cute." Minho assured, feeling horribly endeared. The exchange has lightened his mood considerably, shifting from stressed to relaxed.

"By the way hyung," Jeongin pointed, taking out a small file from under a keyboard. "This is for you."

Minho's smile faded, realizing what it was.

"Gumri's case? Young K still wants me to read it, after all?" He questioned, earning an obvious nod.

"It's your case hyung, you found him. Even I didn't get to see anything." Jeongin replied.

"Well," Minho sighed. "At least not right now."

On que his phone buzzed, a message from Felix.

"Oh no, what time is it?" He asked frantically, taking the takeout bag without touching its contents. "I need to go."

Jeongin made a face he elected to ignore. It wasn't like he wanted to go either, but he had no choice.

He had promised, after all.

.

Minho shouldn't have come here.

The party was loud, music and voices blaring to the extant where he couldn't hear his own thoughts, let along Felix's voice as he led him inside and in the direction of the kitchen.

"GET SOME DRINKS" Felix shouted, the rest unintelligible, before disappearing into the crowed.

Minho sighed, making his way to get said drinks rather than waiting for the one guy he knows to come back. As he did, it hit him that this would be perfect- alcohol might just do the trick and get his mind off of Gumri and Jisung.

Maybe he'd even go dance with some guys.

Rationally he knew he shouldn't, vodka presumably disagreed with his meds for the schizophrenia that attacked every once in a while, but he couldn't be bothered to care at the moment. He doesn't drink often, anyway- how bad could it be?

Throwing back a shot handed to him by a shady guy, Minho could hardly feel it working. He might need another, but then again his tolerance was never that high- it might just take a moment to affect.

Waiting a few more minutes he got impatient, grabbing and gulping down another shot. There, that should have done it.

Minho breathed through his nose, hand slowly scratching his neck. What should he do next? Were there snacks? And what could he do without Felix?

The more he let those thoughts consume him the more anxious he turned, looking at all the strangers who surrounded him.

This was a bad idea.

Minho pulled on his shirt, leaning against the wall and scrolling his phone. Standing like this he felt completely disconnected, a comforting yet disappointing thought. He came here to unwind, but he ended up having no idea what to do- which is why, despite feeling the alcohol starting to affect him, Minho surrendered to another shot.

Another bad idea.

Minho ruffled his hair, hoping Felix would show to scold him for drinking so much so early into the party. He felt stupid himself, knowing there was no justification for it. He was just desperate, that was all it was.

He hummed, feeling the buzz take over a part of his common sense. With this much alcohol in him, he might as well attempt to dance like he wanted. Heck, Minho knows he's good looking, it wasn't a question of confidence at all.

Looking back on it, he usually avoided places where people felt free to hit on him. It always felt shallow, even boys- he wouldn't want to meet people like that.

But right now they seemed more like a good distraction.

Minho made his way to the living room where people danced, spotting Felix to his surprise. He walked over, wondering if his friend left to talk to these strangers.

"Hyung! Did you get drinks?" Felix yelled in his ear when he got close enough.

Oh.

"NO." Minho yelled with an apologetic expression. "I DIDN'T KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU ASKED."

Felix scrunched his nose, leaving for the kitchen. Scanning the others with his eyes Minho couldn't find anything special about them, except for Eric who he knew beforehand.

"ARE YOU OKAY?" Eric asked when their eyes met, causing Minho to frown. "YES."

"OKAY." He yelled back, dropping the conversation.

Felix returned a moment later, a plate of tequila shots in hand. "You should drink too." He stated, passing Minho one that's been full to the brim.

Minho flinched. "I had some." He defended, Felix staring at him skeptically.

"No way. You always say you will, but you don't. You can't get away with it." He nagged, and Minho only had half the mind to argue.

Instead he shrugged, downing the shot only to regret it immediately. The room spun, making him feel good in a concerning way. It was way too early to be that far drunk, but he could feel as bad as he wanted for it later.

His mouth felt dry.

Going back to the kitchen he grabbed some soda, noticing too late it must've been spiked. Great, yet another type of poison to mess with his brain.

For now, he'd probably be good to dance.

Minho waved Felix off on his way back, turning to see if there was anyone he felt like dancing with. He'd usually pick guys, although he wasn't looking for anything sexual- he liked the way gay men shared his mindset.

Down at the other side was a guy, tall yet somewhat bland looking. From his spot and with the toxins in his bloodstream Minho couldn't make out a face, but by the way the guy moved he's chosen his victim.

He made his way there, tapping the guy on the shoulder and dragging him deeper into the floor for a dance. It has been fun, could have continued being fun, if the guy hadn't picked up two more gin shots from a friend's tray.

Minho yelled no, had figured no words could be heard over the music and gave up trying to reject the offer. Throwing back his sixth drink of the night he felt the world spin and dance, realizing he hadn't eaten or hydrated.

The guy said something, pulling Minho back for more dancing when he spilled everything he consumed back out, onto the other's shirt and the floor. It smelled horrible, and Minho might have felt bad for it if it wasn't all the guy's fault to begin with.

He wiped his mouth, feeling his eyes and lens stinging with tears when the other made a racket and yelled over the mess. He wasn't even able to hear him, after all.

Strong arms, warm and comfortable pulled Minho back, and he could only be grateful Felix was there, had saved him from embarrassing himself farther. The guy yelled a bit longer, yelled back at by Felix behind him. Without another word Felix turned, pulling Minho behind him to walk up the stairs.

"Felix…" Minho tried, dizzy.

"It's okay, let's get you some water." The voice replied.

That wasn't Felix.

Minho rubbed his head, too distracted to look up at his savior. Whoever it was, he hoped he was nice.

The guy led Minho to a room, lighting up his immediate fight or flight instinct. He curled his fists, squinting and preparing for an attack. He was way too drunk to consent, hadn’t wanted to do it.

"Wow, okay, calm down." Jisung attempted, raising his hands in surrender.

"Jisung…?" Minho mumbled, unsure if his mind was pulling a nasty.

"Oh, you recognize me, that's worse." Jisung said, trying to get him to take down his fists.

"I won't hurt you, go lay down for now."

Minho made a face. "You'll kill me." He accused.

"What? No. I'll go get you some water and food for now, so rest." Jisung replied, taking careful steps backwards out of the doorstep and closing the door to leave Minho on his own.

Oh no.

"Jisung!" Minho called, frantically opening the door to catch the other before he left.

"Yeah?" The blond turned, eyebrows raised.

"Don't leave me alone." Minho begged, seeming almost pitiful.

Jisung pouted, feeling conflicted. "You need to sober up, Min."

Minho replied with a pout of his own, leaning against the door for stability. "You'll come back?"

"I will." Jisung promised, taking the que to rush down the stairs.

Minho closed the door, carefully walking towards the bed before crashing down on it with an "Oof!"

At least, if he wasn't home, the bed was soft.

He pulled out his phone, sending Felix a quick text to let him know he's with Jisung before realizing he still had puke on his shirt, and now the blanket.

"Shit." He cursed quietly, taking off his shirt and using it to wipe down the blanket softly. He must have been the dumbest drunk on this earth.

The door creaked, signaling Jisung's return. He made a soft noise of surprise, covering his eyes with his hand carrying the water bottle. "Do you mind!?" He yelled in panic, referring to Minho's lack of shirt.

"Sorry." Minho apologized, covering himself with the clean part of the blanket. "It's okay." He informed, notifying Jisung of his newly decent state.

"I got you water, and toast." Jisung informed awkwardly, a stark contrast to his previous shout. Letting his arm back down, it was clear the younger was flustered. He stepped forward, putting the plate at the end of the bed and twisting open the water cap before handing it to Minho.

"Thanks." The other mumbled, downing big gulps of water at a time.

"It's okay. I'm sorry, anyway- but the toast, it's with strawberry jam!" Jisung showcased, trying to hype Minho up for the food as well. Minho gasped, acting a little dumbly. "I like strawberry."

Jisung smiled, drawing Minho's attention for the first time to the fact he had makeup on.

"You look pretty." He flirted, unable to help himself. Jisung's smile widened and he blushed again, maintaining eye contact.

"Thank you." He answered simply, as if it wasn't a big deal between them.

Minho accepted the toast, taking a few bites and alternating with drinking the water. The more sober he turned, the less happy he felt Jisung was there, and the more he hoped to be drunk once again.

"What's wrong?" Jisung asked, pushing back to sit by his side against the bedframe. Minho sighed, looking down at his hands.

"Can I touch you?" Jisung asked, curious.

"No." Minho replied.

"Okay."

At the answer he turned slightly, blinking at Jisung with an unreadable expression.

"What?" Jisung asked, challenging him.

"Nothing. I'm sorry I drank a lot, I get nervous." He apologized, feeling indebted to share at least that. More than likely it was the alcohol, getting Minho to let down his guard.

"It's fine, I'm anxious too." Jisung confessed with a half smile, wondering just how drunk Minho still was.

"You don't have to feel anxious, you belong." Minho objected, tone childish yet sincere.

"But I do."

Seeing as he had no good response Minho stayed quiet, eventually deciding to fuck it all and flop down in Jisung's lap.

"I felt lonely." He complained. "And anxious. And I'm stressed."

Jisung hummed, wondering aloud; "Now can I touch you?" he voiced carefully.

"Not a lot." Minho settled warily, melting when he felt fingers start to pet his hair.

"That okay?" Jisung asked, careful.

"Keep going." Minho urged, curling deeper into his lap like a cat. "Where was I?"

"Stressed." Jisung filled in. "Anxious and stressed."

"Yeah!" Minho picked up, obvious drunkenness making Jisung huff a laughter. "I felt really bad, but then people kept making me drink more. I don't like it at all."

Jisung sighed, doing his best at comforting the older. "Are you very stressed?" He asked, hoping to allow his venting.

"I'm so stressed. I keep having nightmares, I can't sleep. And I can't be alone, I'm so tired and, I don't feel I can tell anyone, I tell my cats but, I can't-" He poured, feeling himself get overwhelmed.

"My job, and college, and the nightmares, and you keep showing up, I can't talk about it, nobody understands. I don't know what to do."

Jisung cooed, hushing him softly. "I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry I add to your stress. No matter what, it's going to be okay- I'm with you. If you want to, I can stay here while you sleep. Would that be good?" He offered, secretly hoping for a yes.

"You'll kill me." Minho replied, voice sounding suspiciously like a complaint.

"If anyone tries anything I'll kick their asses, okay? You can sleep and I'll be here. You're safe" Jisung repeated, and for a moment Minho almost forgot the terror of his dreams had been Jisung himself.

"Even your own ass?" He asked, slightly amused.

"Even my own." Jisung confirmed, expression serious.

Minho shifted, intending to make good of that offer. "You're not allowed to leave me, okay?" He conditioned, earning a nod just as serious. "Not even to pee."

Minho chuckled, feeling at ease. He was beginning to doze off when he heard the other hum, a short set of tunes as if they were lullabies. As cute as it was, he could only regret not being at full attention to hear it.

Next time, maybe?

Next time, he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to everyone who got this far with me! I love ya'll<3 how was your week? did a lot of good things happen?  
> I feel bad for doing this to Minho every time, but finally he made some progress emotionally! This chapter had heaps of character development.  
> As for Jeongchan~~ the Assertive Jeongin tag really started kicking in huh? Pfft xD


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well that escalated quickly--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for the hell of pinning- at least there's Hyunjin, he's very reliable.

Jisung blinked awake harshly, sighing and stretching his free arm. He yawned, rubbing his eye which hurt from sleeping with his lens in when the horrible smell of unbrushed teeth hit him hard.

He moaned, turning to his side with effort.

Freezing at the sight, the scent suddenly didn't bother him anymore.

Right by his side was Minho, fast asleep and snoring softly. The sun filtering in through the curtains shone beautifully across his face, long stripes of light stretching from the tip of his nose across his cheek like whiskers; barely enough to not blind him awake. While it wasn't exactly shaped like a halo, Jisung thought he looked like an angel.

-An angel who did get horribly drunk, all he's eaten was jammed toast before falling right asleep, not bothering to change or wash himself up.

As gross as his breath smelled, Jisung couldn't help but find the other beautiful. Like this too, makeup smudged and hair tussled, he seemed so peaceful and lovely- lipstick half on, he resembled snow white.

Realistically Jisung knew it shouldn't have been long enough to fall for him. The two met on the eighteenth of april, and by the twenty-seventh he's been writing down lyrics of love for the boy- right after they parted in front of the church, he felt like too many words were unsaid.

Minho didn't like him that way. Hardly knew him at all, let alone share his feelings.

Either way, sitting down and writing lyrics like a pro, Jisung knew the words will never be shared if he doesn't commit and say them now. Just a bit longer, then he will- he already had it planned.

He wondered what it could be like, watching Minho sleep on a good day. He must look so breathtaking; he was even now, although it had been quite a rough night- not for a fun reason.

Hit with memories of last night, Jisung could only groan quietly. Not ten minutes after Minho fell asleep the door slammed open, a couple making out with clear intent at the entrance.

Jisung had shooed them, flustered and mad, gently moving Minho's head onto a pillow so he could get up and lock the door.

He then texted Changbin, telling him his circumstances before crawling back in bed with Minho. Making good of his promise to stay, he had some sleep to catch of his own. Hopefully Changbin's friend won't mind, they can always apologize later.

Looking back on it, he probably should have gone to wash his own face, or take off the skinny Jeans which now itched like crazy, but intuitively he felt he shouldn't leave the room for Minho's sake over anything.

If he had nightmares that bad, who knew how often he slept for that long.

And he did. Checking the time, they have slept for close to ten hours; eight-something for Jisung- and Minho dozed on, catching up on what Jisung hadn't known was nearly a month's worth of sleep; all at the price of only the blood circulation in Jisung's left arm.

Feeling like he shouldn't wake him, Jisung considered the idea of going downstairs to get medicine before remembering he promised to stay in the room. He snuck his arm out with effort, shaking it awake and checking his messages for Changbin's reaction.

"Really?? Of all people, what are the odds. I guess I need to talk to Chanhee hyung then? I'm sure he won't mind."

Jisung sighed in relief, hoping things were settled. It was considered rude to fall asleep in another person's bed, after all.

Looking back on it, yesterday Jisung wasn't at all willing to go to the party. Big social gatherings were not something he enjoyed, so deciding to try and destress in that way was uncharacteristic and surprised him as well.

However, he followed his intuition- and as always nowadays, intuition led to Minho.

"I don't think we're welcomed to stay here." Jisung mumbled, wishing he could at least fix the older breakfast. In this house he was a guest too, and as a guest he couldn't just go about his business.

"Hyung, wake up…" He said softly, now fully seated. His fingers hesitated, poking Minho's nose before stroking his hair as he did last night; it seemed he liked that.

Minho hummed, sounding as if he had no intention to move.

"Hyungie, we need to get you home. You should shower." Jisung attempted again, pausing. "Minho."

The older moaned, raising a hand to rub at his eyes and forehead. "Shhh"

Jisung cooed, wondering all of a sudden if their closeness would startle the other when wakes fully. With that thought in mind he got up, feeling a sting at how Minho's arm reached after him.

"You need to get up, your breath smells." He tried again, now in a normal tone. Minho's nose scrunched and he blinked, eyes staring at Jisung for a moment before widening.

"Before you say anything, I'm only here because I promised. We need to fix you things for your head, it must hurt." Jisung ranted, hoping Minho won't yell at him.

Instead he groaned again.

"Jisung, were you there the whole time?"

Jisung blinked, rolling his shoulders. "Yes?"

"Nothing happened?"

"No."

"You didn't hurt me?"

"Gosh, Min, you still drunk?"

Minho closed his eyes shut, rubbing his palms against them. "Hell."

"You don't say." Jisung replied, searching for his shoes which he did remove.

"I'm your hyung, Jisung." Minho reminded, electing not to ignore the earlier nickname.

"Sorry." Jisung apologized, finally seeming a tad bit embarrassed.

"I'll get up, just give me a moment." Minho requested, now staring at the ceiling from where he was in bed.

"Can I leave you alone?" Jisung asked, waiting for a confirmation. "Yes, shit, that's so embarrassing."

Jisung smiled lightly, realizing Minho could be flustered just as he was. He did vent his heart to him last night, after all.

"I'll go tell Chanhee we're leaving." Jisung replied, stroking his own hair into place slightly. He hoped he didn't look as much of a mess as Minho.

.

Minho stood under the water stream, letting the cool drops flow down his face.

The more time went on, the less he wanted to think at all. Not of Jisung, not of the missing persons, not even of college or how much sleep he got.

Despite all that, it seemed his brain insisted to have thoughts in it, so at best he could direct it elsewhere.

Thinking of Felix, Minho wondered if the younger worried after getting his text. During the night his phone has died, meaning it was just now charging on his bed, and although he did tell Felix he was with Jisung he had no idea how the other reacted.

Thinking of Felix led to thinking of Hyunjin, and Minho felt a pang of stress at the fear he'd find out of last night.

Nevermind that he was drunk and nothing happened, he knew that Hyunjin wouldn't accept it well.

Since Hyunjin had a crush on Jisung, Minho was supposed to steer clear as he promised.

Reconsidering that statement Minho realized he had no intention of letting Hyunjin end up with Jisung either, at least not while he was actively suspecting him of being related to the death of two people. Jisung was dangerous, for Hyunjin as well.

Minho sighed, running his hands through his hair. The shampoo and soap have long since washed off, leaving Minho standing without purpose under the showerhead.

There he goes, thinking of Jisung again.

"Hyunjin, hyung is being stupid… I'm sorry for ruining this to you." Minho apologized, soon realizing he was talking to nobody anyway- not a soul inside his apartment but him and his three cats.

"I'm going crazy." He pointed aloud, stepping out and staring at the mirror. The reflection on the other side seemed tired over anything, done with the world and everyone in it. His golden eye shone, almost mocking him with how much it stood out uncovered. He needed a change, needed it now.

"Maybe I should dye my hair."

Deciding to revisit the thought later, Minho wiped himself dry with a towel and continued straight to bed. It was early, no plans for the rest of saturday, and he knew he won't manage to sleep that well again but still wanted to rest his aching head for a bit.

Talking to Jisung the day before was… strange. Especially recalling it all while sober, Minho couldn't understand his own thought process.

What was he thinking, laying in that person's arms? How could he ever rest assured, sleep better than he had since the start of this mess, cuddling the one who scared him the most?

He confessed to being lonely, confessed to every problem he couldn't tell his closest friends, and there was Jisung, sweet and comforting.

More than embarrassed he felt bewildered, disbelieving the fact Jisung and he crossed a line he had put up for so long he couldn't remember when he drew it.

He must be stupid, that's all it is.

.

Minho blinked, taking in the scene of the office in front of him. As he walked in he noticed paper scattered, looking as if a storm blew over; it never happened before.

He turned to Jeongin, the younger leaning down to pick some of the files from the floor with his back to the door. On the other side of the office, Chan was dosing off.

"Jeongin? What happened?" Minho asked, slightly on guard.

"Hyung! Ah, Jae hyung was in a bad mood." Jeongin explained, cheekily grinning at the older.

"Did he throw a tarentum? That's very unlike him." Minho wondered aloud, keeping eye contact. What could it be that upset him that much?

"He got some bad news. Honestly, when something like that happens I feel relieved rather than upset."

Minho hummed, assuming it was a case unsolved which ended unexpectedly. Those weren't uncommon, although Jae usually stayed composed during them.

"Do you need any help?" He offered, kneeling down to pick up some papers.

"I got this, but, I need help with another thing." Jeongin responded, averting his gaze.

"Yeah?"

The younger fidgeted, taking a deep breath before elaborating. "I had this pick up line, but he's asleep- And I have no idea how to bring it up in context…"

Minho tightened his lips, making an effort not to laugh with another glance at Chan's limp figure a couple steps away. Okay, he could be a wingman.

"Sure, let's hear it." He accepted, the younger smiling gratefully before leaning in to whisper the line in his ear.

"How did you even come up with that? How to bring it up, Innie, that's too cringy." He responded, smiling fondly despite his words.

"I searched online, there are good ones but I'm not, I don't have the confidence. He's older than me." Jeongin explained, eyes begging.

"Alright. If you want to give it a shot, I'll do my best. You have to know it's awkward though." He warned, standing back up.

"Chan hyung"

Chan slept on, making soft noises. As much as he wanted to wake him, Minho felt kind of bad for interrupting.

"Hyung." He tried again, softer. "Hyung you need to wake up."

Chan woke, looking sleepy and drowsy after his nap. "Chan, I need you for the case. They said the kidnapper was wearing triangle pattern, we can't remember the different ones there are."

Chan stared, brain malfunctioning at the sudden question right after waking. "What?" He replied, as any person would.

"What kind of triangle can it be?" Minho insisted.

"Ah." Chan voiced, confused. "Obtuse? Right triangle?"

Jeongin glared, eyes sparkling.

"If it was you, I'd say acute one."

Chan blinked, taking in the new information. He blushed, hitting Minho's side. "Did you wake me up for this?!"

Minho laughed, backing off to avoid getting hit again. "Do you like it?"

"I hate you." Chan replied, covering his burning cheeks with his hands. His ears exposed it still, however.

"It's because you're cute, hyung." Jeongin continued, making it worse.

"Please stop talking." Chan begged, sinking deeper into the chair.

It was odd, seeing him lose his composure like that.

"Alright, anyway- do we have Gumri's file somewhere around here? I hadn't read it yet." Minho turned, smile still wide despite the change of topic.

"Oh! It should be here somewhere, hold on." Jeongin replied, shuffling the pages he managed to gather. "Here."

Minho accepted the paper, sitting down and getting to business.

The first thing he noticed was that the file was shorter than expected. The autopsy hadn't taken long apparently, and the cause of death could be drawn pretty fast.

Minho froze, eyes stuck on the word printed in black int on paper.

Suicide?

He set the file aside, staring down at his hands. What? No. In what world could it possibly be a suicide? Gumri had so much to live for, so much he was expecting. His travel abroad, school, art, heck- why choose to die in a car down a hotel's parking lot?

The reasoning was simple: overdosed on painkillers, there was no sign of violence used.

And still, how could they rule it out just like that? What about the ginger person, all the enemies Gumri had- were they all irrelevant in the end?

What an infuriating resolution.

Minho stood up, lips in a thin line. His fists clenched, feeling unsatisfied with a scream stuck in his chest. No way, are they joking? That can't be it, there were too many leads for it all to lead here.

His thoughts came to a halt when Jae stepped in, a frown spread across his face.

"Hyung!"

Jae hummed, rubbing his temple and heading to sit in his normal chair.

"Something happened, what is it?" Minho asked, recalling Jeongin's earlier explanation.

"A girl was reported missing last Thursday, they just found her." The older elaborated, tone upset.

"Oh no. What happened?" he questioned farther, knowing from experience Jae was never like that, not even with Minra.

"She fell down the stairs, they said. Laid down there for an entire weekend before someone noticed."

Minho flinched, face twisting in agony. "What a way to go."

"Yeah. She had a brain tumor too, but it's hard to tell if it happened before or after she fell. I tried to check if someone possibly pushed her, but" Jae paused, taking off his glasses to look around with exasperation.

"But what?" Minho voiced, worried.

"She had fingerprints on her sweatshirt, but they didn't match anyone in our pool."

Jeongin crossed his legs, watching Jae with sadness apparent in his eyes; A glance to his left revealed Chan doing the same.

"Isn't the prosecution supposed to take on the case if she was pushed?" Minho asked, realizing it wouldn't have been Jae's business as it wasn't his to investigate Minra's.

"They're saying she had a brain tumor and fell- I'm the only one who doesn't think so, but without identified fingerprints there's nothing I can do. They're cremating her today." Jae ended, looking miserable.

"Oh, oh no. I'm sorry… what was her name, at least we can attend her cremation?" Minho offered, heartbroken at seeing his mentor like that.

"A Kim girl, twenty. Kim Daerin."

.

Looking over Daerin's case, it wasn't difficult to figure out his dance class has been one of the last places the girl was seen alive. Despite leaving the worst impression, he never expected anything to happen to her, least of all this.

Another artist, huh?

Minho gulped, the realization setting in that except Minra, all three cases he's faced by now were of artists. First Chelle, then Gumri, now Daerin- all horrible folk, all ending it a different way.

Another ghost for his nightmares.

The more he thought of it, the less he wanted to attend the cremation. For all he knew Jisung might attend, drawing attention to himself. Weren't the two acquaintances? What were the odds of it being Jisung who did it?

Minho closed his eyes, trying to calm down. No, Jisung only had art tying him to Chelle and Minra, who wasn't in the lineup of artists. The other had no tie to Gumri besides church, and now with Daerin they hadn't been close. Classmates, yeah, but that didn't mean anything.

If he had to guess who pushed her; probably someone who held a grudge. With an attitude like that, she must not have been liked by many.

Regardless of being liked, a person like that going missing wouldn't raise any eyebrows. All three of the artists were horrible people: A cheater, a racist abuser, a nonchalant antisemitic- he wondered when artists became so corrupt.

Was Jisung, as well…?

Minho's frown deepened, scolding himself. He had to stop thinking of Jisung all the time, in order to keep his own sanity intact.

.

"Hyung, are you okay?" Hyunjin asked, looking worried at Minho from the passenger's side.

"I'm fine, Hyunjin. It's been a rough couple of days." Minho replied, turning the wheel smoothly to exit in reverse.

"A rough month, you mean. You look sad, if we're going out I wanted you to have fun for a change."

Minho sighed, turning to look Hyunjin in the eye. "Hyung is fine, he's going to have a lot of fun with Hannie and Jinnie. Okay?"

Hyunjin pouted, almost offended. "You didn't have to use your baby voice on me."

"Sure." Minho chuckled, glancing at the rereview mirror. His heartbeat sped up, the image of Gumri coming to mind.

"Hyung- hyung! There's a pole, what's up with you?!" Hyunjin grabbed onto his shoulder, shaking him with panic.

Minho hit the breaks harshly, both boys pulling slightly on their seatbelts. "Sorry, sorry."

Hyunjin gaped, disbelieving. "What's going on?" He asked, fear evident in his voice.

"I keep seeing things, it's different from normal." Minho explained curtly.

"Have you taken your meds?" Hyunjin persisted, not letting him off the hook.

"Yes. I never miss them, they just never help to begin with. I already take a high dosage, you know that." Minho replied, a little cooler now.

"Maybe you should change pills, did you see your psychiatrist?"

Minho sighed, losing his patience. Truth was he hadn't, only told the woman his pills were working well. He's been diagnosed a schizophrenic at a very young age and since then, not a single thing had helped him.

"They're different from normal, I think working in this field triggered it. I don't want her to tell me to quit." He reasoned, Hyunjin looking at him with a huge pout.

"No kind is normal, Minho hyung, you're making me worried." He whined, shifting in his seat.

"It is for me. You don't know the half of it, my life is always like this." Minho shot back, feeling suddenly conscious of his contact lens. "I'm fine now, be quiet and let me drive."

Hyunjin obeyed, shooting Minho an offended glance. He knew the younger didn't like when he talked this way, but really what did he know? He doesn't have a say on how Minho lived his life.

They drove in silence, stopping next to the dorm's entrance. Hyunjin pulled his phone out then, calling Jisung down to them.

"Hey guys." Jisung smiled, making both boys relax up front when he entered the backseat.

"Hello Ji." Hyunjin replied with affection, Minho choosing to hum instead. He turned back to the wheel, meeting the other's eyes in the mirror.

Strange, how his presence there only soothed him; He would have expected to feel anxious, Jisung so close to the spot where -

Never mind.

"How are you? Minho hyung, did you catch some sleep?" Jisung questioned, Hyunjin turning back to look at him again.

"Right? He looks like he hadn't slept in a year."

Minho frowned, freeing one hand to pinch Hyunjin's arm.

"Ow! Ow, sorry, sorry, sorry!"

Jisung smiled, leaning in to rest his chin on the edge of Minho's seat. "He looks pretty all the time." He countered, Minho's arm retreating to place in order to stop himself from crashing the car.

"How about me? You're so mean." Hyunjin commented, visibly jealous. "Shut up, you know you're handsome too; spoiled prince."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, barely managing to keep up his facade. With Jisung there, it proved near impossible to do.

Minho took a deep breath, feeling his heart flutter. Bad, it was so bad. What should he do with those feelings of his?

He turned on the radio, meeting a song that he knew was popular nowadays. The weekend, was it? A good driving song.

The other two quieted down considerably, Hyunjin humming along to the parts he knew.

"-ooh, I'm blinded by the lights  
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch.  
I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night  
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust"

Minho felt his shoulders slack, turning the volume down.

"So. Who are we watching? Jisung, you have friends performing?" He asked, slightly awkward for reacting that way.

"It's a surprise." Jisung replied, piquing both the others' interest.

"A surprise? So you do know them." Minho pointed, feeling like he's hit jackpot. "I'll look forward to it."

Jisung smiled again, as if that's all he wanted to hear. "I'm glad." He replied, stating the obvious.

"We have to see you participate one of those days." Hyunjin added, tone nothing but adoring. "I still hadn't heard you sing or rap, but from what I've heard your writing is good, so is the composition." He complimented, and Minho wondered when he got the chance to listen to it.

"You will, I promise." Jisung dismissed easily. "If you stick around, it's bound to happen sooner or later."

Minho nodded, turning the volume back up when a better song came in.

.

"Okay, well, it's really pretty here." Hyunjin pointed. Minho had to agree- the river sparkled, a cruise ship's lights reflecting off the water.

The sun hadn't set yet, but it hung low enough that he knew it would in an hour or so, right in time for the show.

Next to the river bunk were lines of food stands, emitting scents that made all three want to step closer. Uncoordinated they did so, Jisung's hand grabbing onto Minho's sleeve to keep them from splitting up.

Or, perhaps, there were too many people on scene.

"What first? Want to walk around and see the selection, or are we getting the first thing we see?" He asked, referring to the food.

"I'm really feeling the fried hot dogs." Hyunjin said in a low tone. "It's so fat though, right? I shouldn't have it."

Minho pat his shoulder, giving him a little push. "You're a dancer, those calories don't count. They're going to work themselves out by tomorrow noon."

Hyunjin looked back, smiling gratefully. "Thanks." He mouthed, heading to the stand.

"Let's check it out?" Jisung offered, reminding Minho it might not have been clever to let Hyunjin leave them alone.

"Sure." He said, feeling warmth spreading from the place Jisung's hand now rested.

The two walked down, stomach growling at the appetizing selection. Minho was almost distracted, almost let his guard back down.

"Save the bees!" A girl called, drawing Minho to look in her direction. He paused, Jisung Tugging onto him slightly at the sudden stop.

"Hyung?"

"Never mind." He replied, not wanting to disrupt what they were doing.

Jisung looked over his shoulder, searching for the thing that drew his attention. "You like this sort of thing?" he asked, ever so attentive.

"It's fine." Minho replied, eyebrows raising when he felt Jisung tug him to the stand.

"Hello!" The girl smiled, pleased at their presence.

"What do you do?" Jisung asked, confident.

"Well, this stand is for raising awareness to the issue of bee extinction, anything you buy will be used as a donation to recover the bee population." She explained, smile blinding. It was cute, he had to admit.

"Sweet. See anything you like?" Jisung asked, turning to Minho who was smiling lightly at the table.

"We have t-shirts, they're really cute- or we have jewelry, if that's your thing. We have nice rings and bracelets." The girl offered, gesturing at the selection.

"The earrings are pretty, I almost always go for those-" Minho shared slowly, checking them out.

Unconsciously he raised a hand to his ear, tugging at the safety pin- he has so many already, it's hard to choose just one set every time.

"How much for this one?" Minho asked, pointing at a beautiful golden bracelet with a tiny sparkling bee charm attached.

A bracelet is good, he could wear a combination.

"Whoa there!- that one's a little expensive, it's for the big shot donors." The girl apologized, moving to show a selection of different kinds, these ones reminiscent of friendship bracelets.

"How much was it though, that other one?" Jisung questioned, making Minho feel slightly guilty for showing interest. "Leave it, we can get these ones. Three, for Hyunjin too." Minho tried, hoping he'd let it slide.

"150,000 won. I wasn't lying, it's a bit pricey." She replied cheekily, playing with her hair.

Minho made a sad face, realizing that yeah, that was definitely over his budget.

"I can make it 140,000 for you, but I don't make enough to offer a better discount." The cashier apologized, looking genuinely sorry.

"Oh, what the hell. For the bees, right?" Jisung commented, pulling out his wallet.

"Are you serious? That's a lot." Minho turned, surprise taking over his features.

"Yeah. I hope you take credit," Jisung said cheekily, relieved when the girl nodded. "Good."

"Enjoy your purchase!" The girl waved as they left, beaming at having managed to sell it.

"I can't believe you, that's crazy." Minho sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Jisung picked at his nails, procrastinating in saying what he wanted to next. He was so nervous, he was prone to yell at full force; knowing this, he made sure to level his voice.

"Give me your hand."

Minho froze, eyes widening in shock. "What? Why?"

Jisung blushed, avoiding eye contact. "You like it, right? And I wanted, for the bees." He lied, Minho raising both hands to cover a blush of his own.

"You can't be serious." He called, shocked. "That's a lot of money."

"So, don't say no, do me a favor." Jisung replied, finally meeting his eyes. They sparked, and suddenly it felt more like a marriage proposal than a friendly gift giving- calm down mind, you're blowing it out of proportion.

Minho quieted down, taking a long moment to think before hesitantly stretching out his arm in acceptance. Great, now for the hard part.

Breath hitching at the intimacy of the gesture, Jisung took the bracelet from its bag, gently wrapping it around Minho's wrist. The skin was smooth, pulse speeding under his fingers. He felt time slow, the oily smell of fried foods fading for just the while it took him to hook the clasp into place against the older's heartbeat.

"Okay?" He asked, fingers lingering- Minho stared, pupils extended with a strange expression. His eyes moved lower, and for a moment both imagined a kiss- it would be perfect right about now if he pulled him in, or else-

Lean down to kiss his wrist, affectionate and sweet like a fairy tale prince- the kind children hoped would take them away on a white horse to a land where people didn't kill others,

People like himself.

Oh, what the hell.

"Hey guys! Those are really good." Hyunjin skipped to the two, ultimately ending whatever tension they both felt. Minhos hand dropped, inhaling fast at being dragged so suddenly back to the cold reality of it.

"Really? That's good, We'll check it out." Jisung replied, voice shaking slightly.

"You can have some of mine, I want to try fried octopus next." The taller offered with excitement, obviously happy at being well fed.

"Thank you." Jisung accepted quietly, stuffing his face as if it could save him.

"Hyung! Want some too?" Hyunjin asked, and despite his friendliness Minho couldn't help imagining two devil horns growing from the other's head.

Hadn't he saved him? Anyway, this was for the best.

Surely.

The three continued, awkwardness fading with time. As he saw Jisung bite onto a ketchup drowned fri, Minho found himself smiling again. It was more than scary to acknowledge, but he was never one to avoid his fears to begin with; rather, Minho tended to fight them.

"We should go, the performance starts around this time, right?" He mentioned, watching Jisung's eyes widen comically.

"Shit. What time is it? Let's go." He led, looking stressed all of a sudden. When they reached the small stage he turned, relieved a group he wasn't familiar with was still having its go.

"The sun will set soon." Minho pointed randomly, staring at the sky. "Yeah."

"Hey Ji, I hadn't asked- Did you finish that piece? Of the hotel." Hyunjin asked, resulting in Minho's blood freezing in his veins.

"The what?" He asked, adrenaline kicking.

"Wait, I'll show you. I made progress! It's almost done, I just need to add the finishing touches, glare and stuff." Jisung replied, happy for the distraction. He took out his phone, scrolling and finding a picture. "Here."

Minho stared, feeling faint all at once.

"Hyung?" Hyunjin asked, frowning. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to cry."

Minho's breath hitched, choking on panic. That was it, the hotel. Nice and clear, entrance sign unmistakable.

So, Gumri too…?

He felt a sting, goosebumps running when his eyes met Jisung's again. "It's pretty." He choked out, having to take a moment.

"Do you feel ill? Hyung, is it bad again?" Hyunjin panicked, Jisung looking panicked as well at noticing his expression.

"I'm perfect, guys, drop it. Don't make me talk."

Jisung nodded slowly, Hyunjin biting his lip in conflict. "Let's at least get you seated. If you feel like you want to go home tell me, alright? We can take a cab." The taller settled, guiding Minho's hand to rest on his shoulder so he could lean his weight on him.

"I'm fine." Minho repeated with slight annoyance, allowing Hyunjin to help him sit on the big stairs. "Don't treat me like I'm fragile, I can handle myself."

Hyunjin seemed offended at that. "That's not it, Hyung- you know, right? You know I care."

Minho sighed, giving the other a big hug to repent. "I know, I'm sorry. I don't feel so well, that's all."

Jisung stared, licking his lips nervously.

"Are YOU okay?" Hyunjin turned, directing the question to Jisung this time.

"It's just, there are many people. I was fine, I don't know why it hit. I need to go, too." The younger apologized, eyes glancing from Hyunjin's to Minho's and back.

"Where to?"

Jisung hummed, frowning. "I don't want to leave now, I want to make sure you're fine. Our college group was supposed to perform, that was the surprise."

Minho's eyes widened, snapping out of it for a moment. "Really? Jisung, go- that's good for you, we'll watch."

Jisung fidgeted, eyes meeting the floor before glancing back at Minho. "Will you be fine?"

Minho sighed, resting his head on Hyunjin next to him. "I'm fine. Promise, okay? I'll watch."

Jisung's frown deepened, taking a step back. "Promise?"

"Yes." Minho assured.

"Kick their ass." Hyunjin added, encouraging him to go find his friends.

Jisung sighed, defeated. He turned away, walking over backstage and glancing back to check that the two were still alright. As he did a big guy came up to ask him a question, quickly allowing him in right after.

Minho promised, he's promised he'd listen.

Drunk or sober, and even right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally am not sorry for anything ever in my life ;3  
> Anyhow, how was your week, my dearly beloved readers who I cherish and get hyped up for the most? Ily. Please share. I wanna know how you're doing, if you have any theories etc...  
> Someone I like a lot irl asked to read this fic and I'm so anxious about it, I don't know if I'll be able to let him. What do you think? Maybe after a couple more chapters.  
> I like him so much, I might go Jeongin on him ><


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Angst intensifies*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get yourself some tissues ready--

The two men sat quietly, eyes set on the small stage surrounded by curious viewers- all of which came to hear the music.

"Alright! Our next stage here is of college students from the composition course, very talented folk if you ask me." A man announced, and while Minho expected Jisung to step up, the one who actually did was someone else- a short guy with sharp looks, which neither recognized.

After him came a few random others, the two losing interest resulting in Jisung's turn catching them off guard. He walked up the stage, tugging lightly on the edge of his shirt as he searched for Minho's eyes with his own.

"This one, well, I hope you would like it; I wrote it myself. It's my first time performing a self composed solo, so it's special for me." He explained, making a pause.

"I was really nervous, but all those words kept spilling out, so even if it's a little cheesy-" He added, smiling brightly when the crowd yelled "no!" in response, ever so encouraging.

"The song's name is Close, please receive it well."

The crowed cheered, some cooing at the intro. From the back, Minho spotted the guy from before throwing a thumbs up.

The music started, Jisung's voice adding right on to it. There was no fade in, only him, and the lyrics that hit made everything worse.

Minho shuddered.

Wind chimes rang, the sun setting slowly in the distance. It could have been perfect, if he hadn't known.

"In my empty heart, for the first time,  
spring found its way, and a flower bloomed right in the middle  
If you think I'm too much, I'm sorry, but-  
I'm like this because I'm afraid, I won't be able to catch you once today is over

  
Not used to it babe, anything I try to say, what's wrong with me-  
My heart flutters babe, even if I try hard to stay calm  
my trembling voice and awkward gestures,  
speaking loudly for no reason, even when you speak to me-

  
I can only speak like this, even when I pretend to be bold  
when I look into your eyes I still freeze,  
all these things are new to me, even how I feel right now,  
they're all new, but I feel my heart flutter, I'm excited"

The song continued for a bit longer, ending smoothly without a major fadeout. Minho rubbed his face on Hyunjin's shoulder, feeling himself close to tears.

He liked him back. Why was it so hard? It shouldn't be.

"Jisung is so talented, isn't he? I can't believe I didn't know." Hyunjin voiced, earning a groan from the older.

"Do you want me to get you some water?" he offered, ever the reliable friend.

"No." Minho refused gently. "I just want to go home."

Hyunjin hummed, raising a hand to comfortingly pet Minho's hair.

"Whatever you want. I'll call a taxi, then."

Minho went silent for a bit, rubbing his nose on the other's shirt. "What about Jisung? How will he get home?"

Hyunjin shrugged, seeming unbothered. "Jisung can handle himself, right now I care more about you."

Minho exhaled, feeling comforted. It was nice to hear, that Hyunjin's was his friend first and foremost. That's how things have always been with him and his friends.

"Let's at least tell him goodbye." Minho decided, despite his common sense telling him to avoid that conversation. How could he? When Jisung have been so loud and clear.

Soon he got back, smile fluttering at the scene. "Hyung? Oh god, I'm sorry I left. Do you feel that unwell?"

Minho stood up, gathering his courage. "Can I speak with you? Just for a moment." He requested, Hyunjin raising a brow at being left out.

"Sorry." Minho apologized briefly. "Sure."

Walking away, It was Minho to pick up conversation. "I heard your song."

Jisung's eyes sparkled, standing stiff in front of the other.

"What do you think?" He questioned, searching his expression.

"I think you're very talented." He replied.

"And?"

Minho paused, shuddering. Making eye contact was hard, seeing Jisung's eyes so genuine and filled with excitement. He took his hand, golden bracelet shining under the light.

"And…" Minho answered, eyes hooded. It was near impossible, with Jisung like this.

The younger took his que, nervously glancing at Minho's lips.

"We're going home." Minho cut short, getting straight to his point.

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I just, I don't feel very well." Minho apologized, drawing back his hand and stepping away.

"Oh."

"I don't know if this is it, we just, we're ordering a taxi. You can ride with us." Minho offered, knowing he won't accept it after the exchange.

"Don't- no worries, I'll, I'll ask Binnie for a ride, that's all." Jisung stuttered. Minho turned to leave, pausing at the call of his name.

"Can we stay friends?"

He turned back, feeling the physical crack of his heart.

"Of course, Han, I'll see you around with Hyunjin."

"Okay."

"Okay." He turned again, rushing to where Hyunjin was. "I told him we're going home." He explained, earning a nod from the other. "The taxi arrived just now, it's waiting."

And for the best, since as of now,

Minho didn't feel like driving.

Minho hadn't felt at all.

.

Jisung felt himself shake, sobbing harshly into Seungmin's shirt. He managed to keep it together so far, only to shatter into pieces at his roommate's question.

"So… How did it go?"

The two hugged, Seungmin concluding the obvious from his friend's tears.

"I'm going to kill him, hope you don't mind." He voiced, sounding nonchalant.

"He- he" Jisung stuttered, struggling to breathe. The tears kept coming, clogging his senses and soaking through the cloth.

"Bastard." Seungmin encouraged. "Son of a bitch."

Jisung rubbed his face into his friend's shirt, feeling his dams shutter farther than they already did.

"You did well, it's not your fault. He must be the dumbest person ever." Seungmin continued, feeling growing aggression towards the one who hurt his roommate.

Jisung tightened his grasp, making soft sobbing sounds even as he tried his best to regain composure.

"I'll kill him, for real."

"Don't" Jisung choked, sniffing harshly. "He just, I get it. It's okay."

Seungmin's eyes saddened, looking like a sad puppy. "I know how much effort you put in, he stinks if he can't see that."

Jisung shivered, feeling like the world had crashed and burned. "It was going so well…"

"Apparently not. You deserve someone who likes you, Sungie."

The words hurt, they did. Jisung never liked anyone else, he wanted Minho.

"At least learn from this, soulmates don't exist. Don't do ridiculous things like that anymore." Seungmin advised, feeling Jisung rub his face against him again.

"…Yeah."

Truth be told, it was never a good idea. Heck; they've only known each other a couple weeks, Minho never sent him a positive sign before. Jisung knew that much, but he had to let him know- If he hadn't, he felt he might get stuck that way forever.

"It's so bad, Minnie…" He said lowly, voice cracking.

"What is it?"

"It's just, when he said that, he didn't say no, but he did. I could swear his eyes looked like he liked me a lot too, but no. I was so confident for nothing."

Seungmin scowled, poking at the other's side. "What are you saying now? Did he turn you down or not?"

"He did, after the song, he told me he's going home."

Seungmin considered that for a moment. "Did he tell you he doesn't like you?"

Jisung made a noise, sounding exasperated. "He didn't, but it was obvious- he heard the song, he didn't feel the same. I asked him if we can stay friends, he said we can but he called me Han, so cold, Seungmin--."

Seungmin rested his chin on Jisung's shoulder, deep in thought. "But he looked like he liked you?"

Jisung nodded, feeling more miserable by the moment.

"I'm not saying go make a fool out of yourself, but maybe you should have another go." He advised.

"Why should I? It's already so embarrassing." Jisung complained, moving away to make eye contact with Seungmin. At seeing his puffy eyes, the other drew him back into the hug.

"I don't know, you said his other friend was there, right? The one who likes you."

Jisung sighed shakily, a few more tears finding themselves on Seungmin's shirt.

"That's not it, at least I don't think so. Maybe? They're really close, I'm sure Hyunjin would be happy if Minho is."

Seungmin hummed, cradling the other like a baby. "There could be many reasons, but if it's important to you I'd say maybe you can still try. Actually, what am I saying? scratch that- I don't want you to go anywhere near that jerk. Forget what I said."

Jisung huffed, arms tightening around his friend. "Ever so consistent Minnie."

"Shhh." The other voiced with clear annoyance. "I'm doing my best here."

"I know." Jisung replied, and he did. If Seungmin wasn't by his side, what could he do then?

"I really like him, Seungmin." He confessed, feeling like no matter how many time he'd vent, the feeling will never leave him.

"Why?"

Jisung scowled, clenching the cloth of Seungmin's shirt. "Just… Everything. I love his smile, the catlike sheepish one and the wide one, his cheeks—I know people say that about me too but you hadn't seen them, no-

He has pretty eyelashes and expressive eyes, I love how he looks at everything ever; the way he does is always telling for if he cares for it or not. If he's excited, his eyes get wider and catch all the light. If he's upset, they express that well too.

Other emotions as well; You can tell he thinks you've said bullshit from eye contact alone. Sometimes he blinks at you, and it's so obvious what he thinks that he doesn't have to speak at all. At least, to me.

It's not just how he looks, he's so quiet, but after he opens up he feels like a home. He can be such a weirdo, and he makes so much noise; kind of like me, but like… gorgeous."

Seungmin nodded, rolling his eyes where Jisung can't see them. Was he done? No?

"And his hands are so warm, they're so pretty, bigger than mine- they feel right, I miss holding his hand-"

"Hadn't that happened like, once?" Seungmin interrupted, Jisung replying with only a hiccup before proceeding.

"He has big strong hands and arms, like he's been ready to take on the world by himself since age nine. I don't know what's up with that, but then a moment later I forget because he's being so cute again. I can't take my eyes off of him."

Seungmin made a gagging noise. "I get it, okay- I know I asked, but spare me."

Jisung pouted, scooting out and away from the hug. "You're so mean, you'd get it if you met him."

"I really wouldn't. I get the feeling it's a you thing, liking someone who isn't all that great for made up reasons."

"They're not made up! I really feel this way. I never liked anyone as much as I like him." Jisung defended, taking offense to the remark.

Seungmin scrunched his nose, electing not to comment farther.

Jisung sniffled, feeling only slightly better than he had coming in. He recalled the evening, the moments they've shared- it all seemed so stupid now, he's been dumb to think they were special.

Stepping closer to pick cat hairs from the older's shoulder, tugging on his shirt to stay close, sharing food… it felt intimate; moments he gave no importance to were now treated as precious. Who knows if Minho will ever let him so close again..?

Jisung flushed slowly, hand stroking his hair back. He won't be able to fall asleep at this rate.

"What now? Thinking about him still? I'm sorry I asked." Seungmin sighed, standing up from the bed. "Let's see if we have ice cream left over."

Jisung snorted, eyes following the other. Why couldn't he fall for Seungmin instead? That would be… horrifying. Absolutely not, thank god for that.

Seungmin's laughter could be heard from all the way down the kitchen, as if reading Jisung's thoughts on the matter. "You know, this might be good for you. First crush, first heartbreak, big virgin Jisung is finally rowing up."

Jisung made a face, annoyed. "Look who's talking, you're a baby too."

Seungmin laughed again, heading back with a tube of strawberry vanilla ice cream. "No, not that" Jisung moaned, the image of Minho giving a small bite to a scoop of the flavor coming to mind. "What, is it his favorite or something? Sorry loser, it's the only kind we have left."

Jisung moved to his own bed, falling backwards with a small oof. He stared at the ceiling, feeling miserable and annoyed at the same time. "You're so prickly. One moment we hug, the next you're bullying me. I'm older than you-"

"You're mental if you think I'm going to treat you like a hyung over what, a week?"

Jisung huffed, crossing his arms. "Whatever, I'm going to sleep."

Seungmin made a noise, opening and scooping ice cream for himself. "If you're going to cry in your sleep, you might as well come cuddle me instead."

Jisung poked his tongue out at the other. "Shut up."

"Cool then, good night." Seungmin concluded, leaving to turn off the lights.

If the moment the lights shut the tears came right back, Seungmin either hadn't heard or mentioned it.

.

Minho dragged his feet into the office, feeling more drained than he had in a while, taking into consideration the mess after Gumri's reveal.

"Hyu- Oh my god, hyung, were you crying?" Jeongin startled, panicking.

"I'm good, I just need some sleep, is all." Minho lied. He thought the puffiness had passed by now, apparently not.

"What could possibly be keeping you up this time?" The younger questioned, and Minho faintly recalled his dreams of falling down a long flight of stairs on a body pile.

"Nightmares. They get better with time, I know that from Chelle. Things just, they add up. Don't worry about hyung, okay?"

Jeongin pouted, rushing to the kitchen like a man on a mission.

"I see your black eye healed completely, but you definitely have been crying." Jae commented in a scolding tone, leaning on the nearby wall.

"Don't mention it." Minho dismissed.

"Who do you think I am? Answer, Is it the job, just life..?" Jae persisted.

"All. Everything is eating at me, but I can't do much about it, you know?"

Jae nodded, humming sympathetically. "Stuck, right?"

Minho nodded back, surprised he's been understood. He didn't think Jae would get it, but he did.

"I think I know just the thing." Jae offered, a slight smile spreading across his face. "I'll have to ask Sungjin. How do you feel about a short trip?"

Minho looked at him, expression betraying his confusion. "Huh?"

Jae tapped his finger on his glasses frame, excited by his own idea. "You, me, young k, Jeongin- probably Sungjin too, I'll see if we can get Wonpil and Dowoon to join us."

Minho hummed, looking at the door to the kitchen, where the younger stood. "Chan too?"

Jae's eyes glimmered. "Oh, why not. Let the kids have fun for a change."

Minho smiled lightly. "What scale of a trip is that, how long? Where do you want to go?"

Jae waved his hand, dismissing the question. "I can't tell you before I get it approved, I don't want you to get too disappointed if we can't."

Minho nodded, feeling encouraged at just the thought. He did feel the need to get out of this place somewhat desperately.

"I do have a new case for you, but I don't feel like giving it to you now. You have to take better care of yourself, a proper investigator never lets their ptsd show."

Minho laughed bitterly. "Give it, please?" He requested, Jae raising an eyebrow right back.

"Tell me first, is it really the work? You were supposed to get better since finding Gumri, not worse."

Minho toughened his gaze. "Please, hyung. Please."

Jae blinked, unphased. "Is it your crush, that… Han? Was it?"

Minho growled, feeling annoyed beyond belief. "What, is it everyone's business now? Do you throw slumber parties and gossip about me with young k every night? That's my business, obviously I don't want to talk about it."

Jae scowled, taken aback by the hostility. "Sounds painful. I hope you know, this kind of thing passes too. You've handled worse before." He consoled.

"I really don't need this from you right now." Minho complained, feeling comforted still.

"I don't know if this is a good time, but I made some iced coffee." Jeongin spoke, glancing worriedly between the two.

"It's perfect. Thank you, Innie." Minho assured, still stiff from the fight.

"Sure. Just, hyung, I don't like seeing you like this. Take a break or something, go see Ryujin-ssi."

Minho considered it for a moment, eventually reaching to pet the younger's hair. "That's a good idea, hm? I'll do that."

Jeongin smiled, relieved at the thought Minho would finally take better care.

"Anyway, hyung, mind showing me those files?" Minho turned back, glaring at Jae.

"You don't get to give me attitude, young man. I do have it ready, but I'm not sharing it with you when you're unstable."

Minho deflated, feeling the distraction he's craved slipping away.

"Okay, alright- don't cry, I got it. I'm not heartless, god." Jae panicked, seeing Minho's despair. "Let me see here, a guy called Monel. He's been missing for a little over three days, I wanted to see your racing skills when it comes to finding him, but that might stress you out."

"Let me guess," Minho threw into the air, pessimistic. "Another artist?"

Jae stared, unsure how to react. "Yes, actually. This one's a bit older, almost old enough to die normally. He has a fourteen years old son, his first wife died so he's been seeing another.

-She reported here after he wouldn't pick up her calls for over a day, his son has no idea where he went."

Minho frowned. That didn't exactly match the streak, and he couldn't imagine Jisung taking on a much older man.

"Phone?" He asked, checking for basics.

"Turned off somewhere, if anyone found it they hadn't given it to the police."

Minho sighed, cracking his neck. "Last seen?"

"Buying coffee. He seemed disturbed, the seller said."

Alright, then.

"When was that?"

Jae hummed. "May 1st, around seven pm."

Minho paused. Hadn't that been…? Yes. Jisung was with him, then. No wonder it seemed off the pattern, the fact he's an artist was probably a coincidence.

Calmed down slightly Minho hummed, feeling refreshed at not having to consider Jisung in that way.

"Let's do this, I'm down. Where are the files?" He asked, causing Jae to stare. "God, you're weird." He commented, moving to pull out the correct file.

Chan entered the office right then, wearing a bright smile. "Oh? Someone's in a good mood." Jae pointed.

"Did the sun come out, or did you just smile?" Jeongin added, Chan smacking his foot against the table's leg immediately after.

The older hissed. "Are these a thing now? Do you have more? Come on, come at me." He challenged, feigning annoyance. Keyword fake, exposed by the quick blush spreading on his ears.

"We're not socks, but I think we'd make a great pair." Jeongin threw back easily, encouraged by the positive reception.

Chan stared, lost for words. He wasn't expecting it, getting hit on so bluntly in front of his cos, but life throws curveballs at people sometimes.

"By the way, Minho, tomorrow marks a full month since you two arrived here for Chelle's case." Jae mentioned dismissively, seeming at least a little proud.

"Is that right? I guess, yeah. The sixth of april, was it? Now's may fifth." Minho affirmed.

"It is right." Chan assured, snapping himself forcefully out of the state of shock he was in. "I was going to mention that, actually."

Jae chuckled, resuming in what he was saying. "We're planning an office dinner to celebrate, would you like that? Sungjin's treat."

Minho smiled, feeling guilty for his earlier outburst. "It's nothing to celebrate, really."

Jae squinted, sudden shift in expression reminding Minho of an angry bird. "In that time you've found three people, Minho. You do realize that's crazy, even counting in the weeks you spent training and resting which, those probably shouldn't count."

Minho blinked slowly, considering it. "Three? Minra, Gumri, who else?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Chelle, for one, but that's not what I meant. You caught Yeji's stalker too, yeah?"

Minho pouted, lips popped out in a ridiculous expression. "That absolutely doesn't count, I did none of the investigating for it- I just happened to be the one to get on scene and fight."

Jae seemed to disagree. "What are we, undertakers? Service dogs? Finding and taking out culprits is absolutely part of our job, no matter what the prosecution says."

"We're supposed to find the missing persons, not the culprits." Minho corrected, feeling slightly iffy about it.

"Nonsense. Who are you trying to teach? I'm telling you, if you and Ryujin hadn't taken that man down, nobody would have."

Minho smiled sadly. Was it really like that, then?

"The prosecution is always very up their own ass. They don't see the people, they see everything in a very technical way; if they have a tie of how when where and why, they won't hesitate to throw just the next person over to jail and get it over with."

Minho nodded slowly, accepting Jae's take on the matter. "We see people."

"Exactly. We see the people, where they've gone, learning their story."

That was oddly comforting as well.

"Hey, hyung?" Minho voiced, coming to a conclusion.

"Hm?" Jae responded, paying his full attention to the younger.

"I'm glad I intern here, I'm glad you mentor me. A lot of shit came of it, but at least I'm with the good guys."

Jae blinked, a smile placing itself on his lips. "Damn right you are, there's no better place for superheroes nowadays.

Although we're associated with the police, we aren't them- You wouldn't do well as an officer, Minho, you were born to think on your own, not follow orders. Not to be brutal, fight and kill innocents- you make a difference, here."

And he guessed he really did, didn't he?

.

Minho rang the bell for the front door, praying hard to nothing for the one he came for to open it.

The sound of rushed footsteps from inside reassured him, a soft "I got it!" loud enough for him to know he wouldn't have to go through his stepmother, first.

"Oppa? What are you doing here?-" Ryujin asked, quickly engulfed in a hug.

"Ryuddaeng, my favorite, my family-" He cooed, lifting and spinning her around. Ryujin made a surprised noise, instinctively holding on tighter the way she knew from dancing so long.

"So it happened after all? You finally lost your mind, I'll go call the asylum." She joked, unused to the extensive amount of affection.

"I missed you. Let's go out, yeah? I'll buy you anything you want." He promised, feeling uncharacteristically charitable.

"I can't- Oppa, you should have called first, I'm busy." She replied, apologetic at rejecting Minho when he was obviously pretty unstable emotionally.

"Boo. I drove all the way here, give me some time." He complained. He really should have called, but the visit was too spontaneous- waking up he felt lonelier than ever, only Ryujin came to mind then.

"I'm serious, I have a friend over." She insisted, hitting Minho lightly for him to let her back down on her feet.

"Who is it? A highschool friend? Is it Lia?" He asked, looking into the house over her shoulder.

"Don’t!- don't look, come on, you're so embarrassing-" Ryujin flushed, trying to cover his eyes with her hands.

"Hello," Yeji greeted, head poking shyly from the kitchen.

Minho gaped, swallowing hard with arms limp at his sides.

"It's not what it looks like!" Ryujin defended, face red. "We hang out."

Yeji looked between the two, starting to blush as well in confusion. "In your parents' house?! The nerve-" He started, Ryujin rushing to cover his mouth.

"You're uninvited! Go home, don't you have classes to attend? You bullshit college student-" She ranted, older brother unphased.

Collecting himself he breathed through his nose, deciding he liked the new development. "Hey Yeji! Did you two have plans? Can I steal you for a bit?" He asked, realizing if he couldn't spend bonding time with just Ryujin, 'Ryujin and Yeji' was good enough too.

"Sure!" Yeji was quick to accept, eyes full of respect for the man who saved her life before. Friends or not, she wouldn't let him down.

"Great! Ryuddaeng, I'm taking you two out. Now stop complaining and go get your shoes."

In a matter of minutes all three were out, girls squeezing in the back seat of Minho's old car.

"Where are we going?" Ryujin asked, finally calm.

"The ice mall. It's a little far, near my university, but I wanted to shop and skate- people were talking about it, yesterday."

Yeji's eyes widened, nodding excitedly. "That sounds really fun! Let's go."

To her side Ryujin's eyes narrowed, upset at losing precious alone time with the other girl. "Hwang Yeji, you traitor." She commented. "What?"

Minho froze, looking to the two girls in the back seat through the rereview mirror. "Hwang?"

Yeji nodded, raising her eyebrows at him. "Didn't you work on my case? You didn't know?"

Minho shrugged, feeling a little disturbed. "As in, Hwang Hyunjin?"

The girl paused, considering it. "Distant cousin..?"

Oh.

Wondering whether this was a big enough deal to veto Yeji out, Minho quickly decided not to. Yeji is badass, obviously they had little to do in common.

It's only a little weird.

If they date, wouldn't that be…? Oh, ew. Dragging Hyunjin deeper into this mess of a family.

One thing's for sure, His and Ryujin's taste in partners were more than opposite gender-wise.

"He's a good friend of mine, from university." He replied, deciding to stop bashing Hyunjin in his mind. There was nothing wrong with him, he just couldn't see him that way at all.

"Really? That's cool." Yeji replied, satisfied. Yeah, maybe it was cool.

.

Arriving at the mall Minho stretched, locking the car and leading the girls inside. At the middle of the mall was an ice skating ring, shops rounding it with up to six floors.

Pretty.

"Seriously oppa, don't you have any classes today?" Ryujin asked, Minho grimacing as he recalled the four different classes he's ditching for the day, ninety minutes each.

"I needed a break." He defended. Besides, he was a natural in at least two of the subjects.

"Free hugs!" a man called, walking around with four heart shaped balloons tied to the hoops in his shirt. "Free hugs."

Minho cracked his neck, turning to ask the other two what they wanted to do first. After a short consulting the three settled on getting straight to business buying clothes.

Scanning through more than ten different shops, Minho finally got himself a pair of pants one could go clubbing in, as well as jeans that apparently "made his ass look good", which he shyly appointed date jeans from now on.

They took pictures, Minho getting a brief introduction to Instagram filters and promptly falling in love with them. Flooding Ryujin's story with stupid pictures and videos- embarrassing little sisters is one of the world's greatest joys, after all.

After he's had his fill, the three stopped for lunch, Minho grabbing something light to save his appetite for the dinner celebration the office will be having later that day.

Nothing he's done could distract him- has it really been a month? It felt like years upon years since it started.

Since that awful day.

Desperate for emotional relief Minho led on, the three entering a cosmetics shop and getting their shimmer matches from the makeup artist on the clock.

The artist complimented them greatly, going so far as to doing Minho's eye shadow, leaving him feeling pretty.

That's one thing done right, at least.

Entering the store next door Minho picked nail polish, thinking he might pick on the hobby of it before moving on to a book store, going around and absorbing their therapeutic presence.

It's working, finally.

Despite Ryujin's earlier objection to head out, the girls seemed to have lots of fun. Minho noticed the two holding hands, but there was nothing shocking about it- he let it be.

"Free hugs!" The same man from earlier called, Minho turning his head to observe that he seemed kind of lonely, ignored in a society where people don’t share enough affection.

"Ten thousand won you wouldn't dare go and hug him." Ryujin challenged. "That's right" he shot back, unphased. She wouldn't trick him into it, no way.

"Fifteen thousand? And, you kinda look like you need one." She attempted, and Minho suddenly felt way less pretty than he had before.

Was it so obvious?

That he wasn't happy, at all.

Minho blinked hard, tilting his head back to prevent the tears from spilling and ruining his makeup. "A hug won't help me, I'm hopeless." He said grimly, hands on his hips to appear less shaken. Ryujin knew him best, after all.

"That's not true! Look, I've known you all my life, you always get over it- no matter what it is, Minho oppa can kick its ass." Ryujin assured, making to hold his hand. So it really was clear, after all.

"Not this time, Ryu. I'm getting my ass handed to me, it all keeps getting worse."

The confession was quiet, shocking Ryujin into a stage of panic at hearing her brother come forth with his emotions.

"I don't want you to worry, but I don't exactly… have anyone, other than you, in my life- you're my family, so I came to you." He added softly, their eyes meeting for a long moment.

"I'm sorry." Ryujin apologized, never breaking eye contact. She knew, despite everything they went through, she still wasn't enough- he had to carry a lot of weight on his own, always did.

"It's fine, it isn't your fault. You're the best thing I have, you know?" he confessed, earning a side hug from Ryujin. If it helped at all, he knew he was her closest most precious family, too.

"Free hugs!" The man called a last time, looking a little like crying himself. A moment later a figure approached, speaking to the man for a bit before wrapping him in a big, emotionally charged hug.

Minho exhaled slowly, inhaling the air back in with shock when he realized he recognized the newcomer.

Him again, then.

Jisung let the hugger go, pulling slightly at one of the balloon strings as he did to get a better look at the red hearts. A man behind him tapped his foot, clearly done with the other's bullshit, but all Minho could see was him- there, in all his glory.

He was as bad as Minho, now.

It might as well have been his fault.

For a moment, Minho wished for a hug. It wasn't much, but at least Jisung wasn't shy about getting the support he needed. Minho was all about emotional constipation, bottling feelings until they burst at two am in his apartment, or when drunk. Maybe Jisung had a thing or two to teach him, too- too bad he wouldn't get to hear them, now.

And how much Minho wished to disappear from here.

"Hey, let's get you on the ice, alright?" Yeji offered, having observed the exchange silently.

.

The girls hadn't taken long to leave him behind, all three making rounds on the beginner's spot near the railing. Minho was almost tempted to expose Ryujin, revealing that unlike himself, she was actually pretty good at the sport.

As they sped by him again, having made a full round while he only got so far, Minho turned quite butthurt about it. He was sad, then how could they be happy? Although, what did he expect? The world didn't cater to his needs, never have.

He let the railing go, deciding to just do his best somewhere he wouldn't feel so embarrassed, which was evidently a bad idea.

Realizing he didn't know how to make his way back from the middle of the ring, strangers speeding by and rounding him, he was met again with the familiar feeling. Lost, helpless and stuck.

He couldn't inch forward, barely had the balance to stand straight, couldn't take steps- that would require him to balance on one leg at the time and he was so scared to slip, so scared to fall and knock his head on the ice and _die_ -

No one to call, no one to help him. Ryujin was far, laughing and gliding gently with Yeji.

Should he ask those strangers for help?

Should he get on all fours and crawl out?

Cold. Minho felt cold. Really, he only wanted to go home.

Wherever home was, nowadays.

"Ah, hi."

Minho would turn to him if he could, blushing horribly at the feeling of overwhelming relief. That is not how you react to a killer, Lee Minho.

"I can't move, please get me out of here." He requested, throwing his remaining pride to the wind. If Jisung could get him out of it, he would hold his hand for a minute. Longer, even- his treat, this time.

Jisung skated around him, eyes meeting for the first time since the busking. Wordlessly he offered a hand, Minho taking it without hesitation.

The younger pulled lightly, guiding Minho back to the safety of the railing. A couple people skated around them, commenting on their blocking the path.

"Thanks." Minho said, avoiding his eyes. There really couldn't have been a worse timing.

Jisung rubbed his nose, moving to lean on the railing next to him. "Don't mention it."

The two fell to silence, Jisung moving away eventually to go back to skating.

"Ji."

The nickname slipped, not only was he doing something he shouldn’t, he was being friendly to top it off.

"Hm?" The younger turned, eyes tired as Minho's own.

"I meant it. Stay friends with me?" Minho elaborated, feeling like a complete idiot for even considering it at all. He shouldn't want anything to do with Jisung, it was good they broke whatever it was up, but-

But what? No excuse. He wanted to see him.

"It's not that I don't want to, but, it will take some time. I'm glad you're up for it, though." Jisung replied, trying his best not to let the butterflies show. Bad, bad butterflies for a guy who turned him down not even two days ago.

Minho on his side was fighting just as hard. "Don't split up with Hyunjin, he likes you, you know? If you hurt him I will kick your ass."

Way to make it less obvious, Minho was hoping to keep their one link.

"Don't worry about it, he's a good friend." Jisung emphasized, and Minho couldn't help but cringe at the blunt friend-zoning on his friend's behalf.

Jisung liked him, not Hyunjin.

"Have fun with your friend." Minho parted, Jisung looking back to him with curious eyes. Oh, that implied he's noticed him before.

"You too, with your… girl, friends." Jisung replied uncertainly. Minho grimaced, fighting the urge to explain who the two were. Jisung had no reason to know of Ryujin's existence, it was better he didn't.

"Thanks." He said instead, ending it there,

Proceeding to move right to and out the ring gate.

Not like he could go back to skating right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. It breaks my heart too, I hate reading angst and idk why I write so much of it but I feel bad you had to read it you poor soul T-T  
> Maybe it's because I got rejected by the guy I like, I told you about him last chapter... I'm not too hurt over it, he was nice about it and it means I get to keep fangirling over minsung without a boyfriend to tell me it's weird and get jealous. Win-win, right? I really am fine, it only stings a bit- I reacted way better than Jisung here did.  
> How has your week been? I'm genuinely curios so please tell me, and if you have theories for the story share those too!!  
> Toodles~


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Make up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My chapters are always so angsty... at least this time around there's a lot of fluff! fluff for days. The angst, well- Minho is very frustrated, he's a dum dum but forgive him, he's also pinning.

Sungjin sat at the head of the table when he entered, Chan at his side. Right next to Chan was Dowoon, followed by a clearly annoyed Jeongin. On the other side next to Sungjin was a spot saved for him, next to Young K with Jae near the wall.

"Where's officer Kim?" He asked, trying not to sound too disappointed. It had been a while since he saw the older.

"On the clock. We hardly ever leave the offices unattended; you know what's in there." Sungjin apologized lightly, Minho accepting it easily as he slid into his seat.

"I'm glad you're here, I had an important announcement too."

Minho raised an eyebrow, grinning smugly when he saw his boss nod expectantly at Jeongin. The younger pouted, begrudgingly lifting the bottle of soju from the end of the table and pouring everyone their shots with two hands.

"Let's do cheers? I'll go." Sungjin offered, the others nodding along. "To the two new additions to our office, I hope you feel every day you work with us is meaningful, gratifying and worthwhile."

Minho averted his gaze slightly, quickly correcting himself to look Sungjin in the eye again.

"While Dowoon's team at large isn't here, I'm sure they'll throw you a party at a later time, so don't worry." The chief added, directing the words at Chan. Right, the cell reception team did have about thirty five other people working shifts, as well as Dowoon's second in-charge who took the night shifts.

"I'm sure, Jimin would kill me if I didn't celebrate with her too." Chan joked, smiling cheerfully. Jae huffed, tapping the table in a silent sort of agreement.

"Can I have a go?" Young k asked, smiling sweetly. Honestly, how could anyone say no to that?

"Sure." Sungjin approved, and for a moment Minho completely forgot the two had a difference in rank- they seemed like friends over anything.

"Well, I wanted to congratulate you two on battling through every difficulty so far, I know it isn't easy,"

He paused, smile melting into a smaller grin as his eyes sparkled. "We're glad to have you guys. Let's work together for a long time, as a family."

The words were touching, leading Minho to recalling the memories of their office from the passing month. It did seem like a second home to him, now.

"Jae?"

The taller cringed, awkwardly trying to skip his turn. When he couldn't he sighed, raising his cup. "To our two new children I wasn't aware of adopting, to a strong heart and spirit- to finding love and the strength it provides. God bless you."

Chan made an embarrassed face, Jeongin attempting to peek over Dowoon's shoulder at him.

"I can try." Dowoon suggested. "Go ahead."

"To a lot of good food, fun prank calls and patient, calm people."

"I'd like that." Chan agreed. "To less missing people, more solved cases." He added.

"Thanks."

Sungjin turned, looking expectantly at Minho. "Do you want to take a turn?"

Minho froze, bunny teeth showing in a frightened expression. "I don't know what to say. You guys said it all."

Sungjin laughed, Young K's hand settling on Minho's shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze. "Take your time."

Minho hesitated, carefully stringing his words together. "Um…" He voiced, blinking rapidly.

"To safety, health and happiness. Thank you guys, for keeping me in one piece."

Jae nodded.

"Cheers."

Minho looked away, making sure to drink it all in one go.

"Anyway, Minho, you- Oh, the meat is here!" Young k started excitably. The men received the food with a round of thanks, Sungjin and Young k taking the lead in setting out the stripes of raw meat to fry on the barbeque.

"You were saying?" Minho questioned.

"You probably didn't know, but you managed to break records multiple times. You've cracked your first case faster than Jae and I did ours, but more importantly- you're the youngest intern to have solved an official case, not just in our office, I'm talking about south korea at large."

Minho choked slightly, regretting taking a sip of his drink at that exact moment. "It was luck." He defended. "especially Gumri, I didn't expect him to be there."

Jae rolled his eyes, poking Minho from the other side of Young K. "You solved Minra's, though. No take backs, you must admit that's pretty bad ass."

Minho flushed slightly, happy at being complimented. If only they knew, how bad he was being. If he were as great as they made him out to be, he should have told them of Jisung by now.

Why hasn't he?

"You have such a bright future ahead! Graduate, do full time here if you're interested- any station will snatch you, honestly."

Was it that impressive?

"Our little superhero intern."

Jeongin made an annoyed sound, leading to Young k shifting his attention to him. "You're important too, Jeongin. You know we're all delighted you're here."

Minho shifted uncomfortably, attempting to stuff his face full of meat. If he ate it off, maybe he'd feel less guilty.

Jisung, Jisung.

Jisung's hand.

He choked slightly for the second time, half listening in on Young k praising Jeongin to coax him out of his sulking state.

"Excuse me." He apologized, making his way to the restroom for a breather. He leaned against the edge of the sink, staring at his reflection.

"Get a grip." He voiced, hoping to force the resolve his brain reached onto his heart as well. "It's only been a few weeks. You don't like him, he gave you ptsd. Remember what the guys said, you have so much to look forward to, you don't need this sort of thing in your life."

Realizing he wasn't buying his own words he gulped, expression turning harsher. "Lee Minho."

He sighed, touching his forehead to the mirror. He didn't care if it was clean, only that he'd get over these feelings. "We've been through this."

It's too angsty. He's no teenager, he may not have had his first love yet at twenty one, but he did have a fling twice. Or once. And for no reason should it be Jisung who earns the title- He'd have to be really stupid to give it to him of all people.

He rubbed his eye, feeling intense warmth take over as his reflection was replaced with the drawings of him, sketches of his face drawn prettily on paper. A hand moved, drawing small hearts all around before the paper cramped, the hand rushing to smoothen it again before placing it between the papers of a notebook, hidden from sight.

It's him.

He still likes him, too.

Minho moved his hand away, faced again with his reflection. He rubbed his other eye, the contact lens slightly misplaced when he opened it. The golden iris shone, as if excited by the sight it showed him.

Not for the first time, he thought he might have lost his marbles.

His visual hallucinations have always been quite odd. He was born like this, deformed and so mental.

It was a surprise that he liked him at all.

Feeling himself calm down slightly after a moment, Minho made his way back to the table, hoping they wouldn't tease him too much for his prolonged absence.

"Minho! You're on time. I was about to make the announcement, sit down." Sungjin instructed, Minho catching a wink from Jae as he sat down.

"Last year district seven sent a group of two cops to volunteer at a facility for troubled teens, which earned them a lot of praise from the community. They got a raise in their funding, and we were told to learn from them. This year, We're going to do the same."

Minho blinked, fully focused. Was this Jae's idea?

"We thought up something that might be a bit more fun, we could use this as a bonding experience." He continued. "At Jae's advice, I contacted the children's museum at Incheon."

Now they're talking. Minho smiled slightly, Jeongin cheering from the other side of the table.

"Who gets to go?" He asked cautiously, unsure if Sungjin looking at him meant he was included in the team.

"Not just the museum, we're going for a bit of a wow affect so I figured it will be good to have you interact with the Incheon unit. You're all going, Wonpil too. I might be staying behind to manage things in your absence, I hadn't decided yet."

Minho's eyes widened and he turned, making eye contact with a smiling Jae.

"When is this?" Chan asked finally, a little unsure. "Do I get to go too?"

Sungjin nodded, Smiling reassuring at him. "It's just one weekend, two weeks from now. The fifteenth through seventeenth of may. You get to go because those three recommended you." He explained, nodding at the full timers. "Especially Young k promoted you a lot."

Said investigator smiled widely, heart shaped smile dispelling Chan's discomfort at being chosen when there were so many better, more experienced cell receptors available.

"Sure, I don't think I had anything planned other than studying."

The others cheered, Minho side eyeing Jeongin knowingly. Not only him, the entire team was rooting for the boy.

There sure would be a better time to tell them about Jisung, right?

Definitely, at some point. 

.

Minho turned in bed, thoughts running at ninety miles an hour. The company dinner, the upcoming trip, the encounter at the mall and Monel's case, all important topics to think about; and it seemed he wasn't nearly done doing so.

Despite it all being overwhelmingly important compared to a minute run-in with Jisung, said part of the day was the one which dominated his mind the most. He kept turning it over and living through it again, wondering if he could have said what he did better.

Which, obviously, he could.

Jisung was so beautiful, even tired and drained, he shone so brightly it made his heart race even now. He wished he could do more, wished he had nothing to do with the stupid fucking cases of missing people.

Then he could hold his hand all the time.

No, even if he didn't know, Jisung is still Jisung. The man who put Gumri dead in the back of a car shouldn't feel as disconnected from the image of Jisung as it did, considering all the ties. They are one and the same, a killer and his crush; a one plus one deal.

Minho ripped the pillow from under his head, screaming into it until he ran out of breath. It's so messed up, his head hurt thinking.

Stop thinking about Jisung-

Stop thinking about Jisung!

Minho turned to his phone, lips pouting in a miserable expression. Did he have a social media account? That's right, he did; the tumblr and twitter accounts. How about Instagram? Facebook?

Deciding to check the last option Minho found his account fairly quickly, tapping his way and opening a picture to stare at for a while.

The picture was of Jisung -no surprise there,- holding a baby with the puffiest cheeks; Minho found himself cooing quietly. Were they related? Seemed like a Han.

He wiggled a little, still pouting at the cute duo. Jisung on his end was smiling, heart shaped mouth cheerful with his eyes half closed and sparkling. He seemed so domestic, Minho could die- he wanted to see this look all the time.

Nothing of what he showed him today.

No frowns from Jisung, that's not allowed.

Minho made another soft noise, dropping his phone and clamping both hands on his burning cheeks. What should he do about this? He needed professional help.

Getting over Jisung seemed impossible, the chances of it fading about as likely as winning the lottery for Minho, who never bought any lottery tickets to begin with.

Gosh darn it.

Minho took a deep breath, rolling on his back and moving his hands slowly to place them over his heart. It raced so bad, acting against its owner's will. He's in trouble, so much trouble.

He can't even stay away from this guy.

It hadn't been three weeks since he's met him.

Without putting much thought into it he moved, calling Felix despite the time of night.

"Hello? Hyung?"

Felix's voice sounded confused, deep tone calming Minho's nerves slightly. "Hey, Lix, remember how you offered to set me up once?"

The line fell into silence, three long moments passing before the younger could fully process the sentence. "With like, a guy? Why are you asking?"

Minho sucked in a deep breath, swallowing his pride. "I'm tired. I need a rebound, or just, someone to think about. I think I'm going crazy."

Felix made an impressed noise. "A rebound from..? Never mind, actually. What are you looking for, even? I'll do what I can."

Minho strained his brain, trying to come up with a type for himself. Should he describe Jisung? Is that what he's into?

"A guy who's sweet, weird, cute, funny, smart, easy to talk to, artistic-" Felix laughed, cutting off his string of words.

"That's so picky, I meant a physical type. What are you attracted to? I never saw you crushing on anyone other than, wait."

Minho sighed, practically hearing the wheels spin in the other's mind. "You did have a crush on him after all, you liar. I can't believe he broke your heart"

Minho cringed. "Well, he's the only person I've ever found attractive."

"That's so sad, hyung. Lucky for you, I know a friend of a friend of a friend of Eric that I think you might like. You said artistic, right? And cute, and- well, he's cute. I'll send you a picture." Felix offered, obviously into it already.

"I don't care, I never pay attention to looks anyway. If he's nice, set me up with him." He ruled, hanging up before he could regret it.

A ping.

"His name is Dongmyeong, he plays the keys."

[Felix sent a picture]

"Good night."

.

Interviewing the son after the weekend long break must have been the hardest thing he had to do by far on any case he came across. Even just sitting at Jae's side, the entire time Minho felt about as useful as one of those decorative vases.

The fourteen years old was ready to spill anything- all the troubles, all the good times, hoping desperately for the investigators would use the information and bring his dad back alive and well.

Minho didn't think he was alive, let alone well.

Although they had a lot of issues and fought a lot, it seemed the boy was desperate to have his father back. Their backstory had been quite tough- born outside of marriage, his parents married sometime before his third birthday.

His mother's death had brought them apart, the father seemingly detached and unfeeling. Despite the fights and heavy air, despite hating his father's girlfriend with a passion and wanting nothing more than to run away at times, he had no one else to care for him.

The reason he hadn't called before was, his dad has done it before. Gone out to drink, spent the night with his girlfriend somewhere without warning, and he didn't want to believe it- preferred to stay put, clinging to the belief his father will be back for him.

They've only had each other, all this time.

Stepping outside, Minho excused himself for a phone call.

No answer.

He tried again, letting out a frustrated cry when his mom didn't seem to pick up. International calls cost a lot of money, the least she could do is to give him some time.

As he was about to give up his phone rang, signaling his mother was returning the call. That was new, she never called him back before.

"Mom."

"Baby? Is everything alright? You never call, you hadn't texted before." She replied, sounding concerned.

"I know we saw each other not long ago, I was just thinking about you. There was this boy, we took his testimony… his mom died when he was young, and now his dad."

His mother hesitated, settling on a soft reply. "That's horrible, baby, the things some people go through... Are you worried? Do you want me to come home?"

Minho hummed, closing his eyes. "No, It's just- I miss you, I think." He admitted, surprising himself. He hadn't missed her since he was ten years old.

"Now I know something is wrong." She stressed, proving his point.

Minho chuckled, free arm rubbing his opposite shoulder to hopefully release some of the tension.

"How about that guy, Han Jisung? He doesn't keep you company?" She asked, unknowingly making Minho's mood worse.

"He's fine, he has nothing to do with it. I just wanted, I guess it's stupid. I heard this scary thing and wanted to hear you, I love you."

"I love you too." His mother returned, melting under the affection. Here's another thing he hadn't done in ten years; tell his mother he loves and misses her.

"If you keep it up and I really will haul my butt back." She warned, earning a smile. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure." He lied, knowing there was nothing his mother could do but worry even if she knew.

"My baby. Look at you, all grown up. I remember your first day of school-" She started, getting interrupted by some background noise. "I have to go."

Minho sighed, well aware of their circumstances. "Work, right? It's okay, I'll text you later." He dismissed.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to talk more." She apologized, clearly agonized.

"Don't worry about it. Goodbye, mom." Minho ended, dimly reminded of the work he still had left for himself atop of his college homework.

"Goodbye."

The line cut, Minho dragging his feet back inside.

"Hyung." He referred, eyes meeting Jae's. "Yeah?"

"I'd like to stop for today, is that okay?" He asked, knowing Jae would understand, especially after what they've just sat through.

"Of course. Do you want to hang out here anyway, or are you going home?"

Minho thought it through for a moment, deciding he might as well stay. Although he had his three cats, the apartment got lonely sometimes. "I have this assignment due, will you help?"

Jae made a halfhearted hum, as if to apologize. "I can try, but It's been a while for me. I'm originally not a criminology major either."

Minho raised his eyebrows, giving the older his full attention. "Really? What did you take, then?"

"Political science. Bri took business management, he's even more of a special case than I am." Jae defended, coming to sit next to Minho.

"He was an officer, right?" Minho recalled. "Yeah. His parents wanted him to study something practical, it really worked out for him too. If he didn't get so infatuated with that case about the serial killer, everyone at his station expected him to be promoted to chief in no time, since he's got those skills."

Dully noted.

Minho pulled out his laptop, explaining the topic he's chosen and the main points he wanted to make to match his professor's requirements and then also his own standards which were a bit higher.

"That's clever, I think I have a case about something similar from last year." Jae informed, standing up to unlock the older, less used wooden closet containing old files. When he found the case he smiled, coming back to sit next to the younger and begin his tale.

It was around an hour later that Jeongin and Chan both stepped into the hall, almost crashing into each other and making a scene.

"Sorry!"

Jeongin smiled, enjoying the warmth of Chan's hand on his back, stabilizing him. "Taking a break?"

Chan flushed, drawing his hand back. "Yeah, I'll just go."

They moved around each other, Chan making his escape into the small kitchen.

"Oh come on, he totally likes you too." Jae complained, hand hitting his thigh with frustration. "He's going to snap, it's a matter of time."

Minho laughed, loud and genuine. When he stopped he saw both boys staring at him, equally fond.

"Anyway what- what's up with you Jeongin? You've been in Sungjin's office for at least an hour now." Minho pointed awkwardly, rubbing his nose.

"He explained a few things to me about the trip, I'm an errand boy basically. He also asked me to go buy some fresh flowers, some of the big shot officials will be coming to visit, a TV crew too." He explained, breathing for a moment before proceeding.

"They want to interview Minho, but Sungjin said he's not fond of the idea, and anyway it depends on you. He might have wanted to tell you that himself, though."

Minho's eyes widened and he shook his head, not wanting to draw so much attention to himself. Heck, what if Jisung saw?

Not- not just Jisung, you know what he meant.

"Just tell him no. Anyway, I should head out. Wanna join?" Jeongin asked, looking expectantly at Minho. Ah, alright. He was getting tired of the assignment anyway, he may as well take a real break this time.

"Hey Chan." Minho called, extra loud to make sure he heard. "What?" came the yell in response.

Footsteps sounded as the older made his way back to the office, opening the door to stare directly at Minho. "What is it? You called, right?"

Minho smiled innocently, glancing mischievously at Jeongin. "You're free now, right? Want to go on a walk? I'm going." He baited.

"Sure," Chan agreed, caught. "Where to?"

Jeongin smiled, looking away innocently.

"A flower shop, Sungjin's request." Minho elaborated, getting up and sliding his laptop into his bag. "Sounds cute, I'm not busy." The older added, digging himself a bigger grave.

"Alright then, let's go." Jeongin pitched in, causing Chan to turn to him, confused. "You too?" He asked, mouth opening in exasperation. He then looked to Minho, eyes glaring. You're dead, they said. You traitorous fiend.

The three left a moment later, taking the short walk over to a place Jeongin seemed to know well. Rather than a flower shop, the place looked more like a greenhouse- what with being spacious with brown and green nets hanging about and big plastic see-through panes rather than glass at the windows that made up the ceiling, light filtering in beautifully.

"I'll go get what we need, you guys can wait outside." Jeongin assured them, quickly disappearing into the maze of nets and vines.

Minho saw the opportunity for what it was.

"Hyung, you do know he likes you, right?"

Chan froze, looking at Minho like it pained him to hear it. "He doesn't know what he wants, he's nineteen. I'm not dating a nineteen years old."

That sounded like a statement. Debatable, but certain for the moment.

"Let's go inside, it's boring here."

The two walked farther into the greenhouse, Minho feeling a sense of intense calm at the greenery around him. Big leaves, small leaves, mint flowers, red and orange of the same kind. Tulips, violets, his mother would like them- a place in the city that felt like a bubble with its own time and space like a magic shop.

"Jeongin!" Chan called, hoping they won't get lost. "Here! You guys came?"

Minho snapped out of his happy daze, turning one-eighty degrees and panicking for a moment at the familiar face.

"This is Chan? I've heard about you. Do you want to pick? My uncle usually says I should recommend the most expensive flowers, but since it's you guys I'll be honest; I like these ones."

Minho closed his eyes, unsure what to do. "Minho hyung?"

Jeongin's voice rang, calling him out one minute away from crawling back like a ninja to avoid exposure. "What are you doing there?"

He raised a hand, unwilling to turn around or speak. There's a chance if he won't, he won't recognize his backside.

"Oh? Hyung? You guys know each other?" Jisung asked, making it obvious he did. Minho cursed silently, turning around to face his problems.

"You know him? We work together at the station." Jeongin elaborated innocently, Minho immediately feeling himself starting to sweat.

"You do? You work with the police?" Jisung looked surprised, eyes turning fond at meeting Minho's. He coughed slightly, scolding his expression back to hide his remaining feelings for the older.

"I'm like… Jeongin. I'm not, I don't." Minho panicked farther, unsure what to do. His heart raced, flustered with fear and that uncomfortable warmth.

"And you, what, what are you doing here? You work here?" he asked, hoping to divert the subject.

"You're being modest- Minho's with the investigating crew, he's a big shot. They want to make an article about him." Chan teased, unaware of how much of his cover he was blowing.

"That's really cool! I had no idea, why didn't you say something?" Jisung asked, looking slightly hurt at not knowing a detail so important.

"I didn't think it was that interesting…" Minho lied awkwardly, turning his eyes to the ground.

"Do you major in that field too? I've been dying to know. I thought you didn't like it, that's why you wouldn't say." Jisung added, quickly catching up on the fact Minho was uncomfortable.

"You guys mind? I'd like to borrow him for a bit." He asked, smiling when Jeongin nodded furiously at him. Without another thought he took Minho's hand, palm soft against his own as he dragged him into a different section of the greenhouse.

So this is how he dies, then.

"Sorry, were you uncomfortable? Did you not want me to know?" Jisung asked, surprising him out of his train of thought.

"No, it's not like that- I just don't want to get the word around. I don't want to get into trouble…" Minho pleaded, hoping to be let go. He fidgeted a bit, hoping for an easy escape route.

"Hey,"

Minho tensed his shoulders, trying to get his thoughts in order. Don't freeze, you can run, you can fight, if he decides he has to, can he hurt him? He can't, but what if-

"Minho."

Jisung's voice rang, drawing Minho out of his panic. The other had his face in his hands, forcing him to look at him. "Breathe."

Minho let out a breath, feeling his heart race at being so close. He quickly panicked again, differently this time, looking to the side instead.

"No, you have to look at me." Jisung corrected, somehow ending up closer than before. "I won't tell, okay? You're safe, nobody's going to hurt you."

Minho felt the tension leave him, melting into the younger's soft hold. He wouldn't? So Jisung wasn't mad that he was an investigator after all?

"I'm sorry I made you panic, I know it's awkward… I shouldn't have questioned it. I'm sorry." Jisung apologized, dropping his hands like they've been set on fire.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Minho apologized softly, mind still recovering from his panic.

"You shouldn't be, you don't have to share anything with me. It's not like we're close, or something." Jisung replied and wow, that hurt.

"I don't want to not be close, I want to tell you things." Minho replied, not sparing a single thought to the words that just slipped out. Dumb, dumb Minho. That's too destructive for you.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The two remained standing there, comfortable silence quickly turning awkward when Minho processed the exchange start to finish, cheeks starting to heat up. "Um, let's go back? Chan, he's probably, yeah."

Taking the lead Minho realized he had no idea how to navigate, earning a beautiful chuckle from the other.

"My uncle owns the shop. I wanted to part time as a tattoo artist but they, you know, turned me down. Said I look too cute for the job." He tried to make a joke out of it, hurt seeping through and staining his words. "So I thought, hey, why not go the other extreme? I kinda really need the money."

The words made Minho pause, bracelet coming to mind. "You need the money? but you spent so much at the busking, I'll give it back-"

"Are you crazy? That money went to charity, do I look like the kind of guy who takes a refund from charity organizations?" Jisung cut him off, waving his hand dismissively. "Plus, since I work at a flower shop, bees are important to me too, you know?"

Minho smiled lightly, endeared at the other's insistence. "I feel bad for keeping it…"

This time it was Jisung to pause, turning around to face him again. "Are you for sale?"

"No?" Minho replied, confused.

"You're not for sale, I wasn't trying to buy you. I like you, that’s what the gift is for. You don't owe me to like me back."

The words hit hard, and for a moment the thought passed in Minho's mind that he'll never find another guy like Jisung, he wouldn't ever like anyone as much.

"Okay, how about this one:" Jeongin's voice filtered in the closer they got to the others. "Roses are red, violets are blue, I only know that I really like you."

Minho began a sprint, hiding behind a wall and hushing Jisung behind him to better listen in on the conversation.

"Jeongin, stop ---"

Chan's voice was so flustered, Minho was surprised the other hadn't ran away yet.

"Roses are red, your face is too, I think that happens 'cause I'm around you."

"Bold." Jisung whispered, earning a nod from Minho. "He is. I've never seen someone hit on their crush as hard as he does."

He stretched farther to peek, cooing at the scene.

The two were sitting on the floor, surrounded by beautiful flowers of all colors. An array of them were stuck in the older's hair, presumably put there by Jeongin while the other was fighting off his fluster.

Chan sniffed, shaking his head a bit to no avail- his hair was just fried enough to cling to those flowers. "You need to stop. Stop hitting on me." He demanded.

"Why?" Jeongin asked, expression changing into a defeated one.

"Because you don't like me." Chan replied confidently. "You don't know what's good for you."

Jeongin's despair quickly morphed into light anger, knowing that wasn't true.

"And you do? Fine. No, I won't stop. I'm going to continue like this until it's clear."

"Jeongin-"

Minho coughed hard, deciding to save both from the conversation. Jisung hit him lightly, holding the opinion that they needed the talk.

"Let's go back." He said softly, pulling Jeongin to a stand. The boys paid, Minho waving at Jisung shyly on their way out.

Odd, how the other hadn't acted different. He's known Jeongin before that, though.

Hold on. He knew Jeongin?

A shiver passed through Minho's body, finally processing that part as well. "Jeongin, have you ever," He started, cutting himself off.

Never mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeongchan is real this chapter :'3 So are Minho's feelings.   
> PS. Be nice to Dongmyeong, he's harmless!  
> Anyway, I just had my birthday on sunday, I'm 20 y/o!! wooo! What a good time~  
> How was your week? Is it too hot where you live or just right? A lot is going on in the world right now, It's a bit of a minor detail to ask about but I'm still curious.  
> How old are you guys? you know how old I am so it's fair.  
> Let me know!


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A soulmate's a soulmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! this is my favorite chapter so far!!  
> I hope you like it ~~~

Minho twirled the contents in his cup, hardly paying attention. Although he wanted this, the date was going nowhere at all.

At first he's been shocked, wondering how Felix managed to work so well with the little information he gave him, but from the get go he knew it won't work. The issue was, it wasn't Jisung.

It was all there- puffy cheeks, fluffy hair, cheerful demeanor, Dongmyeong was cute, pretty, smart, artistic, Minho guessed with others he was funny and easy to talk to as well.

It wasn't that something was wrong exactly, he was sure anyone would be happy to date the guy, but some critical points were missed for him- when he smiled, his lips didn't stretch in a heart, and when he spoke, his voice sounded different.

He was taller than him, as well.

At this point Minho was sure he was hopeless. The entire idea was this isn’t him, so how could he resent it to that extent? It felt pointless to try.

Dongmyeong paused, sighing lightly. "I know I should be confident going into this sort of thing, but it feels like you don't like me already. Is everything alright?"

Minho frowned, feeling bad for making it so obvious. "I'm sorry. I wanted to give this a shot, but there's a guy I like, I keep comparing you two."

The younger nodded, sipping his tea quietly. "I hope it works out. I want love too, so I sympathize," He added.

Minho smiled slightly, trying to think up an encouraging message. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you, in case you worried. You didn't mess up, It's all things like how you don't laugh the same, it's my fault."

"No, I get it," He replied, shaking his head shyly. "Do you want to tell me about him?"

Surprisingly enough, he didn't ask for a reason- why did Minho come in the first place?

He considered it for a moment, deciding he didn't mind the idea. "He looks a little like you, cute cheeks, big eyes, same hairdo… He's an artist, painter and musician, kind, really wildly attractive to top it off."

Dongmyeong smiled, happy at being compared to such a person. "Does he wear a lot of light colors? No, wait, he's probably the opposite."

Minho laughed, fondly recalling what he could from Jisung's wardrobe. "Honestly? No idea. I never pay attention… never got over his face, I usually get stuck there rather than looking down."

Dongmyeong huffed, scrunching his nose I a familiar way. "What's his favorite color? Lucky number? Birthday?" He challenged, Minho taken aback as he realized he knew none of the answers.

"You have to find out for me, call him," The younger demanded, causing Minho to raise both eyebrows. "Do I? I'm actually a bit curious, but there's a reason I can't."

Dongmyeong pouted, disappointed. "A good one?"

Minho cooed internally, realizing how despite the gaping lack of attraction, he did feel a bit better after venting.

"He's a bad boy, I only date good boys," He summarized, earning a loud complaint.

"That's not a good reason! At least text him, I'm dying to know!"

Minho cracked under the pressure, taking his phone out to text Jisung.

"What's your favorite color?"

The response came quick, Minho huffing in endearment at being prioritized.

"What is this about? If you're trying to repay for the gift, you don't have to" Jisung assured, Minho turning the phone to show Dongmyeong he did ask.

"Gift? What, he spoils you?" The other teased, smiling bright. Minho flushed, shaking his head.

"I'll ask again," He offered, typing fast.

"What if I want to?" He asked, noting he'll have to buy him something later. It was a good idea, actually.

"Red, then. What about you? What's your favorite color?" The reply arrived almost instantly.

Minho hummed, heart full. What was the other question? A number?

"Mint. How about-" He started typing, thoughts cut off by Dongmyeong reaching over the table. "Birthday! Ask him for his birthday, if he's a Capricorn like me."

Minho smiled, nodding before sending his message.

"Oh," Jisung replied, halting for a moment.

"There's still time, my birthday won't be until september. Will you wait for me with that gift?"

Dongmyeong whined, disappointed.

"September when?"

"14th."

Minho froze, staring at the message with a dumb expression.

"When is yours?"

It took longer than needed to process this, it was important information- So Jisung was born on his special date, his favorite.

"You look stunned," Dongmyeong mentioned, confused.

Minho shook off his surprise, quickly answering with his birthday before closing and putting his phone back in his pocket. "It has significance," He said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh."

Time to end it. "Look, it's been nice, but I have a pile of homework waiting for me at home. We can do it again as friends, if you'd like."

Dongmyeong nodded, and for an instance Minho felt bad; if his heart wasn't full, maybe he could find a place for him there.

"I'd rather not though, if that's alright. It gets depressing, if you find someone and I stay like this."

Fair enough.

Then, for now. "Goodbye!" He waved, leaving without hesitation since he paid for his drink at the counter. "Good luck with your love life!"

"You too!"

.

"I can't believe you." Felix laughed, warm and comforting. "Lee Minho, I had a feeling it won't work."

Minho huffed, rolling his eyes up to space. "He was so nice too, I don't know how you found him."

Felix hummed, well aware of his genius people-navigating abilities.

"So that makes the second ever time in your life you went on a date, right?" Felix asserted, and Minho could only call back to the time with Jisung in the café, knowing that wasn't what he meant.

"Both time ended the same, you're too gay. No, it should have been okay to be gay, but you're too specifically gay for this one guy!" The younger cackled, finding his failure hilarious.

"Wait a second." Minho requested, squeezing his phone between his ear and shoulder to open his locker. It was a bit funny, if not sad.

Despite the fact dance class has ended earlier that day, Minho forgot one of his favorite earrings in there- the safety pin one- uncomfortable with leaving it somewhere it could get stolen from although it probably wouldn't. It wasn't a big deal getting a new one if it was, but he's grown attached.

When he finally got it to open a sweater fell, Minho cursing slightly. "Remind me to move some of the clothes from here, it's summer."

A noise sounded from the other end of the line, hinting that Felix was up to something.

"What are you doing?" Minho asked, unceremoniously shoving the sweater right back inside.

"Making food, hold up," Felix replied, a clinking of a bowl telling of what said "Food" was.

"You're just pouring cereal, you lazy bastard." Minho teased, closing the locker and putting his earring back on. He took a step backwards, hearing paper crinkle.

"No I'm not, how would you know?" Felix lied badly, the sound of pouring milk exposing him a second time. Minho bent down, picking the mint envelope from the floor.

"Hey, is Dongmyeong the type to leave love letters?" He asked, suspicion growing as he opened it.

"What?"

Minho ignored the other's string of questions as he read over the letter, unsure what to make of it.

"Did you find a love letter? Is it him? Boy, I thought he was normal. You turned him down right?"

Minho tsked, wondering how to go about the letter. There wasn't much he could do at all, the writer hadn't left their name anywhere.

'After washing my tired self, turning on the boring TV,

Is it uninteresting news today again..? Blabbering words you don't understand?

I don't know your heart, I'm not making fun of it.

Is everyone happy except me, I'm so curious about that

Or am I the only kid who doesn't know how to hide it yet?

Everyone hides their inner selves behind masks,

So I get used to the word loneliness

But, actually,

-On the same day, time, same space,

Different shapes are pieced together like a puzzle.

Don't bear the pain alone anymore, I'm beside you, lean on my shoulder.'

The words stared back at him, making him feel sad and warm at the same time. He was lonely too, he felt despaired. The person in the other end clearly did know, despite saying they didn't-

They felt exactly the same.

The second part, the feeling of finding a place he belongs with, even in wildly different shape than he thought of- he couldn't possibly rest there, but maybe. If someone saw through him like that, felt like Minho belonged at his side, maybe this time around it could work.

"It doesn't even read much like a love letter, I think the writer just reads me very well. It's a cry for my attention, maybe, someone who likes me a lot," He described, slightly unsettled.

"Is it Hyunjin?"

Minho squinted, unsure where the question came from. "What? Why would it be Hyunjin? They write too pretty to be him, anyway."

Felix snorted. "Sometimes I worry how they let you work as an investigator, you suck pretty bad at reading the room."

"Why do you say that?" Minho questioned with offense, intending to put the letter in his bag when he noticed it had some words written on the back side.

'I'm sorry, that sounded emo. Do you like it? I'm fleshing them out into songs.'

Minho cursed, dropping the letter to the floor once again in his startle. "Shit, shit Felix, It's Jisung. Jisung left it."

Felix gasped, spoon splashing the milk on the other end of the line. "You're kidding?"

"I don't know any other lyricist, you know I'm not very social," Minho threw back, picking the paper and dusting it off tenderly.

"I feel like I'm missing something. So he really is stalking you? But I thought you liked him too! I know you said no, but I can see, and he's the one you needed rebound for- Why won't you date?" Felix asked, causing Minho to reprocess the fact it was Jisung who left it. This time it hit harder, making the room spin.

"This really isn't a love letter anyway, they're lyrics. He's testing out lyrics and wanted to share."

"Yeah, romantic lyrics. Hyung, you're not dumb."

Minho gulped, holding the paper carefully like an important memento. "They're not romantic," He defended.

"Okay, lyrics full of yearning with homoerotic subtext, then."

"I didn't even read them out loud."

Felix giggled, making Minho pout. "I know you, your heart just fluttered, right? You like him, you really like him."

"Shut up."

"I support you. Why not?" Felix insisted, and Minho had the urge to hang up on him again. He's been making a habit of doing that lately, which isn't very nice of him, he knew.

"And Felix, if you say a word to Hyunjin, I will end you. I'm not interested in him, so don't interfere."

The younger whined, confused at the hostility. "You know we all want the best for you, right?"

"Yeah," Minho assured, taking a moment to calm down. "This is something I desperately want to get over, so if you try to help, you're actually hurting me."

Felix gasped, the sound of leftover milk pouring into the sink signing he finished his meal. "Sorry, okay. I won't do it, then."

"Thank you," Minho replied.

If nobody else, at least Felix got him.

"I'm going to ask him about it tomorrow, I can't let it slide," Minho informed, sounding grim.

"Are you sure about that? What could you even ask him?" Felix replied, attentive.

"Well, It's not that I'll ask him anything as much as I'll just, I have to tell him to stop, that I know. Isn't it too mean if I don't?" He answered, unsure himself.

"If you don't want to date him then yeah, tell him so. I still don't get why, he's so cute and- no, we just said, I won't push you."

Minho exhaled, relieved. "Thank you. I told you, he means trouble. I don't like him with Hyunjin either."

"That's too far, you can't tell Hyunjin what to do mate." Felix reminded, defensive of their other friend as well.

"I'm not going to, but I wish I could. It's best we don't get involved with him." Minho proceeded.

"You're being a hypocrite. You just said you're going to see him tomorrow, he obviously has feelings for you." Felix pointed, leaving Minho without an excuse.

"Okay, well, it's not better if he leaves me love letters." Minho defended, hoping that one was good enough.

"Oh it is _so_ much better. It's awkward when he knows you know how he feels."

"No kidding."

"What?"

"It's not the first time, actually."

"And you took this long to tell me?!"

Minho took a deep breath, knowing he owed his friend an explanation. "He confessed to me at the busking, the one Hyunjin was at too."

Felix fell into stunned silence. "Really? That's bold. You turned him down?"

Minho flushed lightly. "Yeah."

Felix sniffed, giving Minho the time to gather himself. "How?"

"He wrote me a song and performed it," Minho elaborated, the memory causing an uncomfortable feeling of butterflies in his stomach. "Hyunjin was there. He didn't realize the lyrics meant something."

Felix let out a low laugh. "He's too oblivious for his own good, the love triangle took a turn for the worse."

Minho hummed. "Well, I don't like Hyunjin or Jisung, so it's not really a triangle for me."

The younger sighed. "That's not how it goes, that's not- never mind, I always almost tell you, but I promised not to. Solve your own issues, communicate."

Minho nodded, not actually understanding what the other was going on about.

"He bought me a gift too, I kind of owe him back for it." Minho confessed, while they were at it.

"There goes not interacting with him. I said, you're such a huge hypocrite hyung." Felix accused.

"I know, but I try my best. I can't keep up with all this emotionally." He confessed, hoping to find support in his friend.

"You're confusing me, I don't know how to help you," Felix complained. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Do you want to repay him with a gift to dump him with tomorrow as you tell him to stop sending you love letters?"

Minho clapped a hand over his face, feeling dumb. "No, no you're right. You're right, Felix."

"I always am right."

"Don't get so ahead of yourself."

.

Jisung whined, wishing Seungmin wasn't as strait laced as he was. "Come on, I rarely ever skip, I can't go to class when it's that bad."

Seungmin rolled his eyes, flicking Jisung's forehead just an inch away from the monstrosity in question. "It's not that bad, big baby. Nobody cares, it's art history- you've been waiting for the class on Edgar Degas for what, a month now?"

"I'm almost Twenty! Twenty-year-olds don't have _pimples_ , Seungmin." Jisung protested, voice lowered.

"Obviously they do, you can pop it and go." He proposed.

"I can't do that, what if it scars? Come on, cut me some slack, I'm embarrassed." Jisung begged, no pity earned from his preppy friend.

"If it scars you can tattoo over it." He replied, face serious.

"I can't stand you!" Jisung called out, trying not to laugh. "One time! One time let me skip class."

"You skip often enough, this is what you get. Want to put a bandaid over it? We're going to be late." Seungmin asked, checking the time on his phone.

"Fine, let's just go. I can move my hair like this, hopefully nobody notices." Jisung attempted, allowing the distressed nerd to lead the way.

When he reached his class they parted, a bunch of students turning to stare at   
Jisung from their seats.

"What?" He asked defensively, fiddling with his bangs a bit more. The pimple was huge, he was sure it couldn't cover it.

Darn Seungmin.

The class passed without farther incidents, leaving out the amused stares he earned from even his professor.

Just as he was about to leave said man signed him to come over, making Jisung cringe.

"Do you have any other interesting paintings to show me? You said you went with Daerin to paint for this class before her.. incident."

Jisung nodded, uncomfortable with the mention of the girl as well. After her body was found the course had to collectively attend one therapy session, the university's counsel offering a shoulder to cry on for anyone who needed to talk it out.

Nobody went, he figured.

"Um, I actually don't, I didn't have the inspiration for it." He confessed, apologetic. He didn't usually have an issue with that.

The professor's eyes sparked, smiling down at him. "That's more than alright. Don't go around causing trouble, yes?"

"I wont!" Jisung promised sincerely. "I'll do my best."

"Good boy. Dismissed."

Jisung hopped outside, Jumping at the call of his name. Fuck, fuck no. absolutely not.

"Can we talk?"

Jisung clamped a hand to his forehead, mortified at the idea of talking to Minho with his pimple out and about. It was on the middle of his forehead, as well.

"This is not a good time." He chuckled nervously, pulling on his bangs with his other hand.

"At least turn to look at me," Minho requested, sounding confused. Jisung turned around, hand still covering his forehead.

"Yes?" Please don't ask about it.

"You left me a letter?" Minho questioned, causing Jisung's heart to drop farther. He wasn't expecting it to be that obvious, and he definitely didn't want to talk it out in his current state.

"Listen, can we talk about this some other day? How about sunday, we can get coffee then," Jisung suggested, desperate.

"I have a road trip this sunday, I'm free right now. You don't have class, right? We met this time a couple weeks ago too."

Oh how to tell him Jisung ditched class for him.

"I have someplace I have to be," Jisung tried, wishing Minho would let him off the hook.

"You don’t think it's that big of a deal, then?"

Jisung gaped, hand dropping to his side. "Listen, I didn't think you would figure it out. It's a big deal to me, of course it is."

Minho sighed, uncrossing his hands against his chest. "Let's talk." He demanded more that offered, taking the other's hand and leading him outside to sit somewhere private.

"Okay, talk. What's the reasoning here? It sounded really sad." Minho instructed, eyes staring into Jisung's.

It's not that he forgot how gorgeous they were, it just that it hit him pretty hard right now.

"The lyrics are just lyrics. I still like you, I wanted to share it without being weird." He confessed, feeling unable to lie about it with Minho so close to him.

"Why would you share it like that? You can talk to me, I don't think you're weird." Minho replied, unknowingly causing a wave of fondness to wash over Jisung.

"What about you? Why did you come confront me about it, since you don't feel the same as I do?" He challenged, noting the reaction he got for the last statement.

"Don't write me letters, you think I'm cool with that? I'm not, especially if you're going to be obvious about it." Minho replied, making Jisung pout.

"I thought it was romantic, I was just trying to be sneaky. Does it bother you so much, that it's me?"

Minho frowned, causing their eye contact to intensify. "I'm not upset it's you, I'm upset in general. If you want to say something to me, say it to my face- I already know anyway."

Jisung slacked, not quite feeling like crying despite his despair. "Then what, how do I deal with this?" He asked, gesturing between the two of them.

"I don't know, don't- don't court me, or whatever. Be my friend."

Suffer quietly it is.

"How can I be your friend when I feel like I'm gross, you don't like me at all?" Jisung complained, pleading. "This is too hard."

Minho's eyes softened. "I don't think you're gross, It's just,"

I kinda suspect you of murder.

"I do like you, but I don't want.. um." He tried, Jisung hoping his cheeks hadn't reflected on the warmth he felt hearing it.

"Okay, okay I'll try." He yielded, knowing it wasn't in his power to let Minho down.

"Good."

"Yeah." He replied, pulling his bag closer to him. Checking the time in his phone he groaned, earning a confused look from Minho.

"While we're being honest, I kinda… remember last time? And now? I do have class, I ditched it that one time." He confessed.

Minho gaped, realization slowly washing over him. "Okay, in my defense you could have told me that as well rather than letting me drag you around. Weren't you the one who acted all upset last week because I didn't tell you my major?"

"That's different" Jisung remarked. Well, yeah, it is.

"Go, then. You're late already." Minho encouraged, waving him off as Jisung got up and walked away.

Midway to class he froze.

That fool,

The pimple was out in clear view the whole time.

Jisung was so fucking in love with him.

.

Hand soft in his, Minho moved his face deeper into the other's neck. It felt so warm like this, like he was at peace.

The younger hummed, the vibration causing Minho to turn away and look his love in the eye instead.

Jisung stared back, happy and safe- the moment they had right now was precious, a moment to love the way they both wanted desperately.

The sofa was only big enough for them, perfect for cuddles. The warmth Minho craved, the happiness Jisung offered him without hesitation, there was nothing wrong, it all felt just right.

No deaths, no ghosts to come haunt them. It simply didn't exist, he didn't have to think about it.

He leaned in, touching his lips to Jisung's smile. It took him too long to figure it out, that this is what he wanted, but sitting there like that felt so good, euphoric even.

Jisung laughed into the kiss, returning it with just as much love.

They parted, Minho stroking his cheek gently like he'd break under the slightest pressure. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Jisung closed his eyes, their foreheads touching. "Love you too, you know. To the moon and back, we get to be together now."

Minho sighed. "Promise, right? You promise me."

"I promise," He returned easily, eyes opening to return the gaze again. His smile was addicting, like the best kind of drug the earth had.

Minho leaned in again, trying his best to kiss him harder. He wanted this, he wanted it a lot. He would go as far as to say it's all he did want.

"You're good, and mine, I'm happy." He muttered, stroking Jisung's hair back. "I'm yours, you're mine," Jisung returned. He was, as clear as day.

It felt too good to be true, which was telling.

A loud sound rang.

"No, no-" Minho started, the sudden realization shuttering his world despite feeling so happy just a moment earlier. He wasn't ready, he wasn't-

"It's okay, baby don't cry, it's fine-" Jisung reassured, dabbing at Minho's tears as they started to pour.

"I'm going to wake up, I'm going to, and you're not there, you're not real." Minho kept panicking, feeling the world melt.

"I'm there, I promise it's fine, don't cry."

"Don't leave me-"

Minho started to sob, arms wrapping around his lover. "I'm not leaving, I promise."

"You promise you won't leave?"

"I won't leave you, I'll stay." Jisung hushed, giving Minho a sense of false calm right before he woke up to an empty bed as usual.

A liar, as always.

Minho felt his tears run, dripping off his cheeks and into the pillow. As many times as he promised, Jisung still wasn't there when he woke up. "You promised," he sobbed, vision blurred.

"Fucking liar, you said you'll be there when I wake up, you promised me." It didn't matter that this was the real world, it didn't matter that Jisung was a killer and that Minho was speaking to himself in an empty apartment.

He's been tricked, lied to by his own dream Jisung.

Fuck his mind, fuck his fucked up subconsciousness.

His past nightmares were better than this.

Minho desperately wanted them back.

"I can't believe he, he promised me, but I, I was dreaming he promised me." Minho hiccuped, slowly processing what actually happened.

"I hate him. I hate him, I hate it."

A cat jumped on the bed, Minho moving them away without checking who it was. "I'm not in the mood, leave me alone."

Fuck his miserable life, fuck it all.

"FUCK YOU." He yelled at the ceiling, aiming every word at Jisung. "You had to do this to me, it's your fault. I hate you!"

He's allowed to lie to feel better.

"I wish you were dead! I wish I was over you!"

He didn't mean that.

"I wish I never liked you in the first place, wish I never met you, you bastard!"

Didn't mean that, either.

"I can't believe he fucked me up like this. I can't believe I'm in love with him!"

The confession lingered, echoing around his room.

Should he try to take it back? It's not like anyone heard him, he could pretend it never happened, no slip of his tongue made… But could he really? Honestly, true to himself, was he or was he not? Could he forgive himself if he was?

Jisung,

Jisung-

Jisung.

Loving him. Did he want that?

Clearly he did.

"I am so dead."

Minho threw his legs aside, sitting up in bed. The cars on the nearby street honked, morning rush at full force this early as well. Minho couldn't even feel good about how much sleep he managed to get, knowing it was all that guy's fault.

"I'm going to find evidence, and when I do, I'm going to send him to rot in jail for the rest of his miserable life." He muttered, making shaky steps towards the shower.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't that mad knowing real Jisung wasn't the same as dream Jisung. It did sound like a plan, though- to catch him.

"I can do it, I have the paintings, I just need to find more proof," Which would require to spend time with him.

After the shower he put on some shorts, realizing yet not caring enough about the fact it was stupid to go on a run after a shower. He did it anyway, speeding past his favorite park and the station. He ran past the people, ignoring their stupid, domestic lives he felt so jealous of.

He ran so far that he ran out of stamina.

That usually took him way longer.

He looked around, realizing he stopped for a break right in front of the university's dorms. He got so far, usually he takes his car there.

Turning on his heel he started to walk back, head hanging low like an absolute loser. His thighs hurt, and his mood was so sour, he was almost too distracted to hear it.

A light scrape.

Minho froze, turning to see the few people walking the sidewalks were all on the farther side of the road, nobody near enough to hear what he did.

A groan sounded. "Heavy…"

Minho walked away, changing his mind and turning back to the alley he thought the sound came from- there he was, clear as day; Minho could recognize that back anywhere.

Oh, he was so up to something.

Jisung bent down, almost hidden by the shadows of the alley. "I can't believe I'm doing this… at seven AM…" He complained, scraping sound repeating.

Oh my god, was he butchering someone?!

A soft meow sounded, causing Minho to blink slowly and with feeling.

"The things I do, you're so lucky you're cute. This cost a fortune too." He complained, spilling the cat food into the container.

No way.

Down the alley were three kittens, around three months old and obviously friendly. They rubbed against the other in a way that showed faith, almost the same way Minho dreamed he did.

Now, no, that thought, hold it. That's embarrassing.

Jisung pet the kittens, standing back up with the apparently heavy sack of cat food. "It's too bad I can't take you in. The head boy is so mean, what do they care if I want to keep a pet?"

He couldn't believe he was talking to cats. What were the odds he'd find Jisung like this? Seeing as nothing seemed wrong, Minho chose that moment to leave. Leave, before he lost any hope of ever getting over his feelings. Tough luck, Minho, tough luck indeed.

He walked back home, feeling more like a loser than before. Here he was, stuck with miserable feelings, first love a murder suspect, it only proved to show how stupid he was.

Jisung, with kittens. Jisung feeding kittens. The universe was mocking him, he was sure. How did he manage to make everything worse than it already was?

Adorable.

"I'll put him in jail." He repeated, feeling like laughing at how pathetic that sounded. Oh yeah? Jail? You can't even look at him without wanting to kiss his face all over.

How depressing.

He stared at his bags, all set for the trip later that day. A weekend in Incheon could do him good, yes.

Time with his coworkers. No Jisung, or maybe… should he try this out?

How serious was he about catching him?

Hopefully things would sort themselves out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it?? Cute right? I loved it  
> Jisung is so dumb for Min and Min on his end is pinning hard over Jisung :0 dum-dums  
> As usual, i always say this but i feel bad for Minho. Stop being your own worst enemy!  
> His dream is actually based on my own experience, it really hurt and I reacted way worse than Minho did here so... so. I'm over it though, more importantly Minho is going to be just fine by the next chapter, so don't you worry!   
> Worry maybe for people you should worry about... like Chan.... haha. yeah.  
> Anyways! how was your week readers? You know you always make mine. Tell me what you think and how things are going!! I care.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The office takes a trip to Incheon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter break from Jisung... or is it? (Spoiler, it isn't. He's always on Minho's mind anyway)

Minho lifted his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. It was only one weekend, he didn't have to pack too much.

Jae stretched beside him, taking a look at the two boys still napping in the back seat.

"Should I wake them?" He asked, finding the sight too cute to be disrupted.

Sungjin walked over, closely followed by an alert Wonpil and a much groggier Dowoon and Young k.

"You should, since we're here," the leader replied, locking his car behind him. After some time spent thinking he finally decided to join them, explaining he might have to leave in the middle.

Jae leaned into the back seat, softly shaking Jeongin awake. "Jeonginnie, wake up- we arrived at our hotel."

Chan made a sound that signed he was close to waking up as well, Jeongin finally cracking his eyes open to look at the older. "I'm warm…"

"I know, but you need to get up. Wake Channie up too while you're at it."

Jeongin rubbed his head lightly into the other's neck before softly poking his ribs. "Hyung, Jae hyung says we need to get up."

Chan tightened his grip around the younger's shoulder, Jae backing away from the car door in order to avoid disrupting their sweet moment.

"These boys are disgustingly cute," He complained, endeared smile spread all over his face.

Deciding to let them take their time Sungjin stepped inside first, talking to the receptionist with a patient smile before signing a paper for their keys.

"Alright, room arrangement. I thought this out back at the station, so don't even start complaining now. This is for business, not pleasure."

Jae rolled his eyes, foretelling. "I'm with Brian again, aren't I."

From behind Young k bristled. "What's wrong with rooming with me?"

"You know exactly what!" Jae threw back, beginning a soft banter.

Sungjin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. "Yeah. Jae's with Young k, Chan is with Dowoon, Minho and Jeongin have a room, then Wonpil's with me."

Jae pouted. "That's the worst arrangement ever, at least switch Minho and Chan."

Sungjin shook his head, Dowoon agreeing softly. "I don't think they'll be comfortable if he did that…"

Minho sighed, finding no particular issue with the decision. Jeongin was cool, this meant the interns, the officers, the investigators and the call receptors all shared a room in a way that made sense.

Sungjin handed them all their magnetic key cards, sending them off to settle in their rooms. Minho and Jeongin were in the room across from the investigators and the cell receptors, Sungjin and Wonpil sharing a room on a different floor.

"Minho!" Called Wonpil, stepping down the stairs towards the intern. "Here, have a key for our room as well. Jae and I are the lightest sleepers, so wake me up if you need anything."

Minho nodded gratefully, happy to rely on officer Kim out of everyone.

"Hey Innie," He called, jumping on his single bed after he finished unpacking.

"Yeah?" Jeongin replied, still arranging his papers for the day's work.

"What are the plans for today?" The older continued, turning his head to look at the younger.

"What am I, a secretary?" He muttered under his breath, checking for the answer anyway.

"Today we'll be meeting the Incheon unit, then for saturday and sunday we have volunteering duties from ten to five. After five we're free, but Sungjin expects to see us back no later than ten, that's our curfew for now."

Minho hummed, satisfied with the response. "Any idea what the volunteering part is about?"

Jeongin turned, staring at Minho with disbelieving eyes. "You don't know where we volunteer?"

"The kid's museum, but like," Minho attempted, gesturing with both hands. "What do we do there?"

Jeongin sat on his bed, fluffing his pillow before flopping down on it. "Well, It's mostly the hyungs' job, but the volunteering is just passing lectures to curious kids. Telling them cool police stories, taking pictures. It's a pretty fun place, I think you will like it… We might have to babysit a little, but, you know."

Minho smiled, finding the idea fun and attractive. "I actually love kids." He confessed, earning a soft "Ew" from the other. "Like the museum not the kids, hyung."

"What? They're cute." He defended. "By the way, I had a question."

"Ask ahead." Jeongin encouraged, staring at the ceiling.

"How close are you with Jisung? Did you two ever talk about cases?"

"Ah? No, you know I'm not interested in cases. And why would I tell Jisung, of all people? Those are classified."

Minho nodded, feeling silly for asking. Of course Jeongin wouldn't, but that leads again to the question of how. How could Jisung know of these cases if he wasn't directly involved? He had to be.

"What's bothering you? Is it something that has to do with him?" Jeongin asked, genuinely concerned.

"I'll tell you later." Minho decided, sitting up.

Later, sometime, today or tomorrow.

.

Meeting the Incheon unit went smoothly. The men greeted each other neatly, discussing multiple topics Minho had mastered in his degree so far, as well as a few others he had no idea about.

They also got to finally meet Jeongin's cousin, who's dropped by randomly to say hello. It's not that he had a special opinion on Hongseok, but it did seem quite weird how the two were related- they looked and acted nothing alike.

Chan did look a little bit stiff, but other than that they all got along. It was a bit funny to be honest, a little like meeting the parents- and Minho couldn’t help recalling his mother's reaction at meeting Jisung for the first time, lover or not.

When they got back to the hotel, he was already so worn out- socializing could be so demanding at times, but over anything he was proud of himself for managing to think of his crush a bit less. At least, for the few hours he's been there.

Now, for instance, was a different matter.

Minho squinted at the ceiling, wondering if the right way to go is to avoid him, or rather to stay and gather evidence. The first was the one he'd pick normally, but seeing as it didn't work, maybe.

His heart raced just thinking of it.

"Maybe I can be his friend, for real, and then…" He conspired, quickly calling himself out on his own bullshit.

"I just want to see him again, don't I. This is a trick, I'm tricking myself."

Despite that obvious flaw, he couldn't find it that bad. So what if he liked him? He won't stick around, not if he put the other behind bars.

"Go to sleep." Jeongin complained, throwing a pillow at him.

"Alright, okay." He responded, turning off his light.

.

The volunteering had went more than okay, ending faster than Minho expected. The kids we're so nice, although some kept crying, Minho stole candy to hand them all out.

Stole, well, from the receptionist's table.

A cameraman took their picture, urging Minho to give him an interview. He smiled shyly, letting the man down.

"Investigation prodigy!"

Minho flushed lightly, leaving the museum in higher spirits.

"Minho!" Young K called, waving cheerfully.

"Hyung!" He smiled, returning the gesture.

"We were going to pay the small theme park a visit, are you in?" The older offered, eyes full of excitement.

In truth, Minho hated theme parks. He had no interest in going, but he would if they all did. "We?" He asked, deciding based on that.

"Everyone minus Sungjin, he had to drive back for an emergency… come on," He encouraged, happy at the younger's nod.

"Let's head out then, we can have a little bonding time, just us."

Minho smiled, warm at being treated so specially.

They took the car, Young K explaining ahead that the others took the metro, wanting to see a bit of the city on their way. They'll probably come back the same way, seeing as Sungjin took the second car.

"Hey Hyung?" Minho asked, curious.

"Yeah?"

"What was it like, putting your job aside, when…" He trailed off, hoping the other knew what he meant.

Thankfully, he did. "I was scared, you know… Not just because of the job. I was so scared the killer would come after me, he always seemed to be messing with me. Leaving corpses like gifts, always on my shifts, even when I changed them- I never managed to ask him why he did it."

Minho swallowed.

"And you still went, right? You were scared but you went and found him."

Young k nodded, glancing at Minho. "I've wanted to ask for a while, but is everything okay? You looked happy today, this was out of the blue."

Minho bit his lip, thoughts going back in Jisung's direction. "It's not a conversation to have in a car, I think I still need to figure it out."

"Anytime, I'm here." Young k assured, accepting it easily. "You're my responsibility, Minho. I brought you to the station as my intern, my idea, and I will always have your back, cute dongsaeng."

Minho shied away, unused to the title. Young k smiled, happy to embarrass given the chance.

.

They reached the theme park, grouping up with the others.

"Actually, I'm not that big on roller coasters." Minho confessed, staring at the large blue track sticking behind the buildings.

"Come on, It's tiny." Young k laughed, Wonpil agreeing. From behind he could see Jae and Dowoon exchanging looks.

"You guys are on my side?" He asked, hopeful. Jae laughed nervously, glancing at the track. "Pshh, no."

"Dowoon hyung?"

The other blinked, and for a moment Minho could tell he was anxious as well. "I'll do it, I still have a bad name for crying last time."

Minho stared, disbelieving. "Chan hyung? Innie?"

The two shook their heads, wanting to go on the ride. So he was alone, huh? Okay, he'll stay behind then.

The six of them stepped into the line, Minho taking a walk on the promenade viewing the sea. The wind blew, messing his hair a little as he watched the metro pass right above him. What a place to build it, right next to the shore.

He bought himself a snack from a cart, sitting down with nothing to do. After a moment he pulled out his paper notes, turning to a blank page and trying to make sense of things as he's promised himself.

Chelle, Min-ra, Gumri, Daerin. Monel?

Min-ra stood out. The others were adults, artists, all dead with seemingly no foul play involved. Well, He didn't know about Monel.

On the other hand, relating to Jisung, He had paintings tying into the first three, Daerin being a classmate as well.

He didn't kill Monel, he was next to Minho when the man went missing.

Maybe he had a partner?

Then, what was Min-ra for?

Out of all deaths, this one hurt the most. A young girl, she did nothing to deserve it, and yet she was murdered in a brutal manner, more than all others.

Couldn't be that this wasn't one killer's work?

Then why was her place of death drawn out too?

Maybe Jisung really wasn't the killer, or a killer who took over credits for killings that weren't his. The idea rose panic deep within him, and he knew he had to stop thinking like that.

Gather proof, motive, place and a time space. Find out how he did it and lock him in jail.

Maybe Monel would clear it all out.

A sudden thought struck.

"Yeji said, Chelle died copying Van Gogh. What of the others? Was there an artist murdered and thrown, an artist overdosing on painkillers, an artist getting a stroke? Surely someone did.

He didn't know art well enough to confirm it.

What were the chances every case was a murder, anyway?

Minho closed the app, thoughts well documented and tucked down. Time to see if the others were done.

Finding them all on their way out, Minho couldn't help but laugh at Jae's hair, standing comically.

"Got something to say?" Jae asked defensively, Wonpil rushing to snap a few shots. "You snake!"

Minho chuckled, happy to be reunited with his friends.

"Let's have a walk around!"

"Sounds good to me!"

He swung his hands to the side, following close in spite of having seen a lot of the view already.

The group bought snacks at the same cart Minho did, all enjoying the taste of street food. Chan bit his innocently, distracted enough to fall for simple tricks, or so Minho saw it.

"Hyung, that looks heavy, let me hold it for you." Jeongin suggested, Chan humming lightly without realizing the change.

Minho shook, struggling not to laugh out loud as he saw the younger softly taking his hand, intertwining their fingers like couples would do.

Chan kept eating, apparently starved enough to miss having his hand held. He tried to reach for a napkin, realizing with a start what happened. He choked then, face blushing furiously.

Wonpil pouted, shoving his elbow into Jae's ribs. "Look, look!"

Jae choked as well, turning to Wonpil with fury. "I'm eating! For god's sake, I saw it."

Young k hadn't, apparently, paying for his second serve.

Dowoon averted his eyes, ignoring Chan's distress.

Wow, betrayed by his own supervisor, Minho noted.

Chan made an effort to release the younger's hand, mumbling softly through his fluster. "Let's go."

Minho followed, walking behind Chan to wherever he was so set on going.

"Wait!"

Chan stopped, looking at Minho with frustration. "What do you want?"

"Those headphones." Minho pointed, standing next to a shop's window display.

"What about them?" Chan asked, having run out of patience.

"I want them. Come with me?" Minho returned, Chan taking a deep breath before storming into the shop.

"Which ones? Let's get them and go."

"You know, you're allowed to hold his hand one time."

"Shut up."

Minho bit his lip, unused to seeing Chan so ticked. "Well, the ones… Those!" He pointed happily, stepping over and checking the price. He then frowned, trying to figure out if he could afford it.

"300,000 won? Get out of here." Chan commented. "Maybe for me- you don't need the highest quality, you're not a producer."

Minho stared, conflicted. "You don't understand," He stated, nails digging into his palm. 300k won was more than double the price of the bracelet.

"You're right, I don't. Get them or don't, I don't care."

Minho turned around, losing his patience. "Listen, could you take one moment to not be a prick? Like, five minutes- I'm not buying for me, so shut up."

Chan fell into silence, realizing his mood did find a bad outlet. "Sorry."

"Fine." Minho threw back, upset.

"These ones, they have the noise cancelling feature too." The older pointed, glancing at Minho to see if his words would dissolve the other's anger. "Do you want a headset or in-ears?"

Minho's shoulders slacked, looking at the variety with loss. "Headset, I think? It has to be red."

"Okay, a red headset. Who is it for, by the way? Ryujin?"

Minho hummed, avoiding the question.

"Well, the ones I have at home are these ones, but I always regret not putting in the extra ten thousand on getting the other kind." Chan guided, doing his best to help this time around.

"The ones for 240k? That sounds better." Minho sighed with relief, looking at the features. It seemed okay, good even, and Minho had a sense that for a headset, they were pretty cheap.

Still a lot more than the bracelet is worth.

"I'll take them." He decided, picking a box of the red collection and paying, comforting himself with thoughts of his upcoming paycheck. Why he spent so much on Jisung, heaven knows.

Maybe, he thought, yeah, maybe he liked him.

Minho huffed, annoyed with himself as he covered the price tag with black marker, so to hide the fact that he spent so much money. He better appreciate it, Jisungie. He better be his friend now, stay by his side for a long time.

"Thanks." He mumbled, fully aimed at Chan.

"It's fine, sorry for acting out." He returned.

"Don't worry about it."

The two stepped outside, Minho carrying the box like a baby. "Why are you so upset every time, anyway?"

Chan stiffened, light smile dropping. "I like him a lot, you know what my deal is. I'm frustrated with him because he won't cooperate, and also because I react so easily, spineless. Look at me, a nineteen-year-old keeps hitting on me and I can't even let him down, isn't that sad? Don't you feel bad for me?"

Minho shook his head, looking him in the eye. "I don't feel bad for you, I feel bad for Innie. His crush likes him back, he does everything right and with his best effort, and yet he's let down because of something he has no control over."

Chan hummed, averting his gaze. "You know I can't do it, he's too young for me."

Minho sighed.

"As he would say, ah… suit yourself."

The two reached the others without farther conversation.

.

The next day at the museum was just as enjoyable albeit a little off-putting, Minho getting to carry a chubby four-years-old on his shoulders. The kids and him were vibing, having their fun while the full timers took on the much less entertaining role of teachers and lecturers.

A group of second graders was particularly delightful as well. After hearing the stories a young girl came running to Minho, hugging him tight before saying she wanted to be a detective like them. He couldn't help but feel concerned, knowing better than she did how heavy the mental toll was, but for a moment he almost felt like a hero-

Like a firefighter, even. A soldier of sorts.

He took selfies, smiling when he noticed the same reporter from yesterday showed up to take his picture as well.

"I can message you the ones I took," he offered, the other turning him down lightly. "This goes to a news article, it will look unprofessional."

Minho blinked, staring dumbly. The news? About their volunteering? He guessed that was cool.

"Okay, uh, go ahead." He replied, unsure what else to do. Say he didn't want to? That he wants to stay anonymous? But the pictures spreading was a given since he took them, It hadn't occurred to Minho it had meaning before now.

When they exited Minho paused, reaching to tap Jeongin's shoulder for attention. "Hey, do you know why Sungjin left?"

Jeongin turned, ignoring Minho's lacking manners. "He had to drive back, Jimin said she needed his help."

"Oh, okay, sorry." Minho apologized, realizing he should have at least said hi first.

"Hey, would you like to go grab some beer? I've had a weird day, I'm in the mood." He excused, genuinely craving a bit of the poison, since Sungjin wasn't there to delay his public debut as an intern.

Jeongin stared at him, eyes sparkling a little. The drinking age in korea is twenty by korean count, which means Jeongin was very newly allowed to drink since January 1st. Minho assumed, by that look, that he'd like to try it for real at least once.

"Chan hyung!" Minho called, drawing the older's attention when he stepped outside.

"Want to go grab some beer?"

Chan took a deep breath, looking pointedly at Jeongin. The younger squirmed a little, taken off guard by the intensity of his stare. "Sure, I'll go."

Interesting.

The three roamed around, stopping by interesting shops and buildings. For once nothing happened, until they crossed a flower shop, that is.

Minho stopped in his tracks, reminded of Jisung's shop in seoul. The feeling of yearning hit him strong then, wondering if he should get the other some flowers, would that be nice?

No wait, friends. Friends don't give flowers to each other, right?

Jeongin apparently shared his mindset, mumbling softly under his breath.

"What?" Chan asked, urging him to continue. "What was it?"

Jeongin flushed, hiding behind Minho.

"The daisies, they're like you." He said softly, searching Chan's expression for a reaction. He hadn't meant for that one to be heard, and for some reason he felt shy- too shy to hit on Chan when the other was so obviously fed up.

"Really? Why?" Chan challenged, clearly not expecting the explanation that followed.

"Reminding of sunshine, a happy, pretty flower. It's bright, gold in the middle and shining outwards. It's supposed to be a weed but I like it, I like dasies."

Oh, Minho thought. Was this practiced? It sounded deathly honest. He could feel himself melting a little at the cheesiness of it, noting Chan was taking it worse.

The older had a hand to his face, trying to keep what's left of his composure. He flushed, smile showing by the dimples his hand failed to hide.

Yeah, it really was pretty cute. Good one, Jeongin.

The youngest buried his face in Minho's shoulder, warmth causing Minho to think maybe he really didn't plan it at all. Were these words straight from his heart, then?

Minho cooed.

"Let's go, we said beer. Right? Let's get beer." He suggested, providing the two with a distraction. "Yeah! Beer, I'll just, I'll be going, to find it." Chan said, powerwalking away with two hands still on his face.

"Hyung, help." Jeongin squeaked, deeply embarrassed. "That was really sweet, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Let's go, you'll feel better after a walk."

.

The three sat in Minho and Jeongin's room, setting the cans of beer on the floor. They might have gotten a few too many, but it was no issue if they wanted to take some home tomorrow.

A soft knock sounded.

Chan rushed to hide the cans, Minho stepping to the door and opening it carefully.

"Jae hyung?" He asked, surprised to see the older.

"Hey there, Young K fell asleep right away as usual so I thought maybe I could come talk with you for a bit. Are you busy? Who's here with you?"

Minho opened the door wide, considering being transparent about the fact they wanted to drink, maybe offer Jae a beer too.

Jae was technically his boss, though. That would be weird. Were they even allowed to drink on a business trip like this one? It felt like they shouldn't be.

"I actually did want to talk to you," Minho remembered suddenly, the boys exchanging a look behind him. He couldn't help it, after all, he had newly decided to confess to Jae.

The older walked inside, sitting at the side of Minho's bed. He looked at him curiously, the others shifting a little to listen too.

"Well, I think some of the cases so far, if not all, had some sort of foul play involved."

Jae raised both eyebrows, pushing his glasses up into place. "What do you mean?"

Minho took a deep breath, leaning on the wall near the door.

"I have a reason to suspect at least three people- Chelle, Gumri and Daerin, were killed by a person rather than what the autopsy said."

Jae stared, an odd silence falling on the room.

"Have any proof?"

Minho nodded, quickly turning stressed at the idea of Jae expecting more than he knew how to answer.

"I don't have enough proof for prosecution, but I found an odd pattern and a person that has ties to all I've mentioned."

Jae nodded slowly, processing the information. "Okay then, let's see it."

Eh?

"Let's see what you've got." Jae requested, surprising him. He thought, if he said it, that Jae would dismiss it immediately. Was he really given a shot? So easily, too.

"Well," he started, recalling his notes from yesterday. "they're all artists studying in the same college, all are horrible people in some way, and since Chelle died in a way that resembles Van Gogh, I thought maybe the others too had their own artists. I'm thinking, the person behind it could be an artist who had a bone to pick with all of them."

Jae sighed, scratching his head. "Minho, You know that that's not enough. You're going to have to show me something more juicy if you want to convince me my inspection team is a sham."

Minho let out a frustrated groan, realizing he might not have him on his side after all.

"I know someone, he has ties to those people, and the places they died." He admitted farther, averting his eyes.

"Bring them in then, I'll question them," Jae suggested, the thought making Minho wildly uncomfortable. Could he do that to Jisung? He couldn't, could he?

It was too soon, that was the issue. The only issue. He had no other in mind.

A big as heck lie, but go off I guess.

"I rather search for more clues first, make it more stable." Minho refused, hoping Jae would get it.

"Look, heck." Jae started, leaning his elbows on his knees. "There's this thing called confirmation bias. You build a theory, and then choose what to believe based on how well it suits you.

You can't do that, you MUST NOT do that, because that is the biggest pithole for our job. Every fact you find, you must accept it no matter what- change your theory based on evidence, not the other way around."

Minho pouted, feeling dejected. He knew it was Jisung though, he knew those deaths weren't natural.

But did he really know though?

"Anyway, I'm out. It was fun seeing you guys, drink safe." Jae parted, leaving the room before the boys could process what he meant.

"That's so embarrassing…" Jeongin muttered, pulling out a can and cracking it open.

"Hey, hey! Don't start by yourself, annoying…" Minho scolded, quickly picking up a beer to drink too.

"I can't believe you think somebody murdered Chelle." Chan stated, rushing to take a long sip of his own.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot she was a sensitive topic," Minho apologized honestly.

"It's fine, I think, I hadn’t thought about her in a while." He confessed, taking another long sip to distract himself.

"What was she to you?" Jeongin asked, slight jealousy showing.

"His ex."

"My ex."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Chan took a break, dizzy from drinking too fast. "No worries, she wasn't, we weren't dating when she died."

Minho could practically feel the younger's curiosity, filling the air with questions unsaid.

"She cheated on him." He clarified, Chan sniffing in response. Jeongin, however, looked ready to fight.

"What do you mean she- why would- that's fucked up, what could she possibly want more? Was she stupid? That's so stupid, I would beat her ass if I could," He declared, Chan taking another long sip. He finished his can, leaning down for another.

"Whoa there, slow down- you're going to get trashed." Minho warned, Chan cracking open the can anyway.

Jeongin took a sip, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I brought this thing up, but you know, right? You deserve the world, anyone can see that."

Chan took another sip, closing his eyes. "Stop talking, Jeongin." He said, tone tired.

Jeongin did.

Minho glanced between the two, quietly sipping on his beer. His brain was still running on what Jae had said, the maybe and maybe not of theories.

What more did he have on Jisung, other than the art and context?

His pattern didn't match Min-ra, and his paintings left out Daerin.

Maybe Minho was making it up.

But then, the paintings…?

He finished his beer, reaching for another one when he noticed to his dismay Chan was already on his third can.

"Hyung, that's a lot. You will get a headache."

Chan nodded dismissively, obviously knowing his own limits well.

Alright, then.

Jeongin closed his eyes, pretending to be fine while he made an effort to finish his first can. He opened them again a moment later, startled to see Chan was looking at him.

"Um," He voiced, hiding his mouth behind the can to save him from talking.

"Why is life so complicated?" Minho complained, looking for comfort in his beer. "If it's simple, we find reasons for it to be complicated anyway."

Chan moved his eyes to Minho, now glaring angrily. "Stop talking, you too. You're just picking a fight."

Minho raised his free hand, standing up from the bed. "I'm out, I need to go clear my head. I'm going through something too, not that you two will care." He spat, making his way towards the door before closing it softly, wanting nothing more than to slam but caring too much for the residents. It was a hotel after all, and nothing was as annoying as slamming doors at ten thirty pm.

Maybe slamming doors at two am, he reasoned.

Minho stepped outside, sipping on his beer with the sea in clear view. Just a short walk, he could go take a swim- but then, he did drink, so it was dangerous.

There goes his spontaneity.

His phone buzzed, signaling a new message from the man he tried to push from his mind. "Are you having fun out there? I saw this picture of you on the news, you look so happy!"

Minho smiled at his phone, opening the picture Jisung sent him to see it was one of him with the kids from before.

"You're so perfect, I don’t know how I didn’t see it coming. Chan was right, prodigy? Have any idea how cool that is? Hyung!"

Minho pinched himself, feeling his face start to flush with overflowing emotions. On a whim he called, unsure if he hoped the younger would pick up.

"Minho hyung?"

"Hannie… I've drunk a bit, I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Jisung asked, voice soft.

"For you, doing this to you. Can you talk to me? I miss you." His voice cracked, reminded of Jisung asking the same a while back.

"Yeah, sure, I have some house chores to dub- dishes, say hi dishes! 'hi, we’re dishes, nice to meet you Minho hyung!'"

Minho felt his chest tighten, endeared. "Hello dishes, please cut Jisung some slack."

"'No can do! Jisung hadn't bought a dishwasher yet, it's his fault. He's saving for it.'"

"I wish I could buy you a dishwasher…" Minho said, speaking nonsense.

"Jisung still has a lot of chores to do, his roommate Seungminnie left to visit his parents for the week so he needs to do it himself." Jisung continued, a smile sneaking into his voice.

"I wish I could do it for you," He whined, not liking the idea of Jisung going through a rough time of any kind.

"I might take you up on that," Jisung laughed, warmth spreading all over Minho's face and chest. "Sounds tempting. You should go to sleep though, right? You're not home, or sober. Are you alone?"

Minho hummed, feeling sad at having to cut the call short. "I'm at a hotel."

"You're a cute drunk, it turns out. Not surprised, again- but, go to sleep." Jisung tried again, concern winning over his missing Minho just as much.

"I will, and thank you, for talking to me." Minho thanked him slowly, genuine.

"Anytime. Good night Lino."

"Good night Hannie, see you." He parted, ending the call. He then walked around, spending a good twenty minutes on nothing before throwing his empty can in the trash, walking back inside and up to where his room was.

The door beeped.

"What...?" Minho mumbled lowly, trying to sweep his magnetic card to no avail. He checked to make sure it was the right room, seeing that it was.

"Jeongin?" He called softly, unsure if the younger could hear him from inside. Did he pass out? Why wasn't his key working?

Making a few more tries he gave up, remembering the key Wonpil left him in case of emergencies. He climbed up a level, searching for the right room and finding that the key to it worked perfectly.

"Officer Kim…?" He whispered, letting his eyes adjust to the dark. Right, Sungjin went home, Minho might just sleep here.

"Minho...?" Wonpil whispered back from the bed, quickly touching a finger to his lips as a sign to keep quiet.

Minho squinted, realizing Wonpil was not by himself.

"Is that Jae...?" He whispered, a smile making its way across his face.

"I am Jae…" the answer sounded, Minho looking shocked for a moment before Wonpil explained. "It's fine, he sleep talks. Did you want anything?"

Minho stared, rushing to snap himself out of it so he could talk. "My key doesn't work, I can't get into my room," He explained.

"Take Jae's key, It's on the night stand." Wonpil instructed, petting Jae's hair lightly when he started to squirm.

"Minho safe, is Minho safe…?" he mumbled, sounding distressed.

"He's safe, he's okay. No one's gonna hurt Minho." Wonpil assured, the older seemingly at peace after hearing it.

"He cares about me?" Minho asked quietly.

"Yes?" Wonpil replied, as if it's been obvious. "Now go sleep young man, it's way past curfew."

Minho saluted halfheartedly, taking the key and making his exit, closing the door the softest he could before rushing downstairs.

He opened the door to Jae and Young K's room, realization hitting him at the same moment as the sound did.

No wonder Jae didn't want to sleep here!

Minho flopped on the spare bed, covering his ears with a pillow to block out the loud snores coming from the older. It took him a while, but after that time Minho had finally drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Refer to chapter one of the bonus side series "Now With Both Eyes Open" for the hidden shot of Jeongchan smut that occurred during this chapter;)
> 
> Drunk Minho in love, smitten Jisung...  
> A whole mess!  
> How was your week readers? It felt like ten years have passed T-T  
> I finally found a beta!! it's @honeyboyfelix , they're really kind and friendly and I'm so happy I have them on my side, I feel so much more confident~ They write for skz too so go check them out if you want<3


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pure torture. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Ignore the summary, this has a surprising amount of fluff in it too.  
> I actually have a nice game for you readers,  
> Can you try and guess which part hurt me the most? The one I felt saddest writing out of this chapter, and why.  
> Guess correctly and I might give you a sneak peek of your choosing, you can get either a snap of smut or fluff from my wips, jeongchan or minsung.  
> Good luck!

Minho was in the middle of his tuesday class on the philosophy of law when it happened.

He got up, signing an apology to his teacher as he took the call and ran outside.

"Jae hyung? What happened, you never call." He asked, stressed. It was true, his hyung really didn't reach out to him often, he couldn't recall a single time it happened before.

"-Sorry for calling you out of the blue. Do you have time to come to the station?" Jae questioned, making Minho's anxiety peak. "Did something happen? I was in class, I can leave-"

"No, no. They found Monel's body, that's why I was calling."

Minho's breath hitched, not knowing what to do with himself. "What?! How? Where was he? How did he die?" The string of questions sprung on, flashes of their conversation with Monel's son passing in front of Minho's eyes.

"He drowned, probably. Coast guard found him on the shore, they called it in around ten minutes ago after identifying him as one of ours."

Minho shook, goosebumps running at his sudden theory. "Which shore?"

"Incheon."

Minho couldn't hold his tears, terrified. They've been so close, how long has it been? Did he die while they stayed there?

"His estimated time of death is yesterday noon, we left already by then." Jae reassured, as if reading his mind.

"What happened between him going missing and his time of death?" Minho choked out, recalling the man went missing on may second. It's been seventeen days, over two weeks since then.

He hadn't done his best on this case.

The thought hit hard, Minho recalling all the time he spent on vacation, playing with kids, and before that; going to class, dating, drinking, falling in love and basking in praise he didn't deserve, spending time cracking his head on things that didn't matter as if this man wasn't waiting, desperate to be found.

It's his fault.

"I can hear you overthinking, we're still looking into what happened so don't assume." Jae warned, Minho finding no comfort in his words.

"Jae, I think I should quit."

"Like hell, come to the station, we'll talk it out later."

The line cut.

Should he go back to class? What was the point? He hated his major, hated the stupid internship- what was he working towards? Was this really what he wanted to do? He should quit, change his major to dance before he went and got himself hurt.

He already did, he's been through enough.

Minho pulled his hair, trying to recall just one good thing to keep him together. Ryujin? Felix? Jisung? No, no, no,

"Hyung?"

Minho pulled harder, letting out a small sob.

Hyunjin ran over, pulling him in for a hug. "Let's go," he said, hoping to handle it better elsewhere. The hallways were empty, allowing him to lead Minho by the hand up to the roof, where he knew for sure nobody will follow.

Minho made soft sounds, breath hitched and barely holding himself together enough to follow. It was too much, one low after another, he didn't know what to do- how to live on?

Once there Hyunjin sat him down near the stairwell, sitting next to him to pull his friend in for a warm hug. He let him cry it out, stroking his hair softly with caution. "It's okay, hyung, it's okay."

Minho sobbed, feeling anything but. "I can't live, I can't live-"

"You can live, don't say otherwise," Hyunjin reprimanded, not managing to sound half as harsh as intended seeing as he was holding back his own tears- darn sympathy crying. "You know what you mean to me and Felix, and you have Ryujin and your cats at home waiting."

Minho shivered slightly, not half done with crying it out. "Is it school? The internship?"

He nodded to the second part, Hyunjin leaning his chin on his head with tears beginning to spill out and onto his hair. "You- quit that place if it makes you feel bad! I don't want to see you cry!"

"Then leave!" Minho threw, sounding harsh.

"No way! D- do you think I would? I'm here for you, you're my friend," Hyunjin denied, offended. He was beginning to cry harder, rivaling Minho's own tears.

"Jinnie…"

Hyunjin nuzzled his hair, tightening his hold.

"I see dead people, Jin."

Hyunjin sniffed before twisting his face, almost forcing a chuckle out of the older if not for his shit mood. "You see dead people? Like the sixth sense?" "No."

Minho sniffed back, rethinking his decision to share this. He wiped his face, deciding to elaborate anyway. "At work, I find bodies of missing persons, I'm supposed to find them but most already died."

Hyunjin stared, tears spilling on. "That's horrible, no wonder you're like this."

"You think?" Minho frowned; well aware it wasn't his best decision.

"How did you find yourself working a mortgage? You're the warmest person I know," Hyunjin questioned, wiping his eyes with the end of his sleeve.

"Am I? I feel so dead," Minho replied, cuddling into the younger. "Yeah."

"I found the first on accident, or not, I was looking for her. Then I got the internship, and there were others- so many of them, Jinnie, another one just now."

Hyunjin's breath hitched, letting out a sob at seeing Minho cry.

"No, don’t cry, you're so stupid-" Minho choked out, wiping Hyunjin's tears himself this time.

"How can I not cry when you're hurt?!" Hyunjin called, lower lip trembling. "It's bad enough with just me crying!"

"Well sorry!" Hyunjin yelled, quickly burying his face in Minho's neck. "Your contact fell."

"What?"

"It fell. Your eye's glowing, I think it's from all the crying." Hyunjin pointed, Minho freaking out as soon as the information hit. "Shit, shit I don’t have a spare here, I have to go home- wait,"

Hyunjin knew about his eye? How long did he know? He thought he only knew about the hallucinations, how long-

"I'll get your things, let's just calm down and think of a way to get you to the parking lot okay?" Hyunjin spoke before he could question it, earning a nod.

"People will stare." Minho worried, hand ghosting over his golden eye. If went unchecked, the entire campus would start talking about it.

"You can cover it while we walk downstairs, I'll lead you" Hyunjin offered, a reasonable suggestion. Walking with his eyes covered was only a little weird compared to walking with his abomination out and about. "Okay."

They got up, Hyunjin pulling his hand softly. "I can see by myself though, I only have to cover the golden one."

"Ah, right."

He smiled softly, exhausted. "How long have you known?"

The two started their walk downstairs, Hyunjin almost tripping down some stairs from staring too hard at Minho rather than where he was going. "What do you mean? I've always known, You kept acting all secretive about it but you always have packs of colored lenses at home, you even brought some to our shows just in case."

Minho gaped. "I've never seen it up close though. I wouldn't have guessed it was gold, that's so pretty like magic."

Minho rolled his eyes, keeping his hand in place. "My parents divorced over me, I'm a freak."

Hyunjin stopped in place, staring harder. "Have you always had that much emotional baggage?"

"Yeah," Minho affirmed, sniffing dejectedly.

"You're a strong-minded person," Hyunjin concluded, nodding to himself. "You shouldn't carry it alone though, at least quit that job."

"I can't," Minho started, earning a look.

"What do you mean can't? You won't?" the question sounded so exasperated, as if there was no reason for Minho to make that call.

"I can't, I have people counting on me." He explained. Looking back at telling Jae he wanted to quit, it was true, but he didn't think he was free to.

"Go join the military then! Become president, achieve world peace! No, other people are absolutely not your responsibility, they never were."

Minho considered that, figuring that no, he couldn't adopt that thinking pattern. "I know I can't save the world, but if there's something I can do, something I'm talented at that can help others… It's my calling, you know? What else am I worth?"

Hyunjin stopped again, poking his chest. "Everything, you are worth everything. No other life in the world deserve to be prioritized over yours."

"You know it's not like that," Minho replied, sighing deeply. "I'm not going to die for other people, I'm just doing my best."

"You're doing too much, it seems like," Hyunjin threw back, ready to fight for Minho's own good.

"But if I give it up I'll be doing too little. I don't think I'd last a week without it, knowing I could help someone and I didn't. That's what kills me at my job anyway, knowing I didn't manage to save anyone."

"You're too nice," Hyunjin complained, puffing his cheeks in a big pout. "It will get you killed some day, you'll see."

"Me? Nice?" Minho chuckled, mood lifted a bit. "Never in my life."

"You're always like this," Hyunjin sighed, eyes sparkling with something Minho wasn't sure how to read.

"We're here."

Minho entered his car, hand still hiding his right eye from sight. "I'll get your things, don't worry. Get home safely, alright? Don't crash the car."

"How dare you jinx me like that?!" Minho called, hitting him lightly. "Thank you."

He closed the door, starting the car and looking outside to see his friend still standing there. He rolled down his window, tilting his head in a silent question.

"Uh, I don't know, I was-" Hyunjin started, eating his words.

"Your eye, it's really pretty."

Minho squinted, Judging harshly. Was that what he wanted to say? That dumbass. "Thank you, I guess," He parted, switching gears to drive and rolling out from his spot.

Hyunjin have always been a little weird.

.

Minho entered the station, taking a deep breath at the sight of Jae with his arms crossed over his chest. "Sorry, hyung, I wasn't thinking straight-" He started, startled by the feeling of arms wrapping around him in a hug.

"Don't worry about Jae, he's not really mad," Wonpil whispered against his ear, letting him go shortly after.

"Hyung-"

"Do you think this job is a game? You can't quit over phone, you can't quit on a whim- what were you thinking?" The older ranted, and Minho was hit by just how much he liked him, liked them- they were his family, a place to belong.

He felt tears coming, telling himself off for letting his thoughts go that way again.

"No, no-" Jae tried, letting out a loud "Oof-" when Minho tackled him in a hug of his own. "I'm sorry, I was really off. I think it's my fault he died, but it's also my responsibility, right? I will have to work harder."

Jae made a pained face, unused to the affection. "Get off me so I can pretend to be mad at you!"

"No."

"Aish. Okay, It's not your fault, please know it's not your fault. I suggested the trip, and the case was the station's responsibility, not yours. Me too, Young k too."

Minho let him go, keeping eye contact. "Did he really drown…?" He asked, preferring that topic over another heart-to-heart.

"Yes. There are no signs of struggle or fowl play, people do that sometimes. They go and swim into the sea until they're tired, then even if they try to swim back they're too weak, they just drown... It's a type of suicide."

Minho's eyes saddened, struck by a sudden sad thought. "His son…"

"We contacted a social worker, they're going to find him a good home." Jae assured; words hollow.

"He's fourteen, Hyung, nobody adopts kids that old." Minho voiced, calling on his bullshit. "What should I do? Adopt him myself? I share a fault for not finding his dad before it was late…" Jae trailed off, ruffling Minho's hair.

"Don't worry about it, there's nothing more we could do either way."

Chan chose that moment to enter the office, looking a bit all over the place. "Chan hyung? You look like you've picked up the call on Monel," Minho guessed, Chan throwing a dead stare his way.

"Jeongin did. It was a call from the Incheon unit, they rang the internal line. Have you seen him?"

Minho froze, speechless. "Oh."

"Yeah, guess not."

"I'm right here." Jeongin spoke up, exiting the kitchen. He sat down on one of the chairs, sipping down loudly from the steaming liquid he made for himself this time around.

"Are you okay?" Minho tried, Jeongin sinking deeper in his chair. "It's been a horrible week," He replied, as if that sums up his feelings on the matter.

"Week? What about the trip?" Minho asked, noticing Chan's miserable expression. The older swallowed down an apparent lump in his throat, turning on his heel to leave back for the cell reception unit.

"What did he even come out for..?" Jeongin muttered, staring down at his mug.

Minho was almost too tempted to ask.

Instead he turned to Jae, asking the question that remained on the tip of his tongue since that morning. "What happened since Monel disappeared?"

Jae tsked, crossing his hands again. "I don't know, it's not in my job description to find out."

Minho frowned, staring at Jae like he was crazy. "What..? Is nobody going to look into that? His death will be ruled out a suicide at this rate."

Wonpil sighed, looking at him sadly. "You're right, but… if the autopsy says he was killed it's out of our hands, and if he killed himself, well… there's nothing more to investigate."

"You can't be serious, they can't just rule everything a suicide! He had no reason to do such a thing! He had a boy, what about the boy!"

"I'm sorry." Jae replied, mouth in a thin line.

"How can you not care?"

"I care."

"You obviously don't!" Minho yelled, not realizing he was picking a fight with Jae again after only making up a little earlier.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Minho, we have other cases, Will you drop everything to go look into someone you know died already? These people are alive, we have to prioritize."

"You have to do both! Do all! It's our Job, nobody else will, this will stay unsolved forever!"

Jae grabbed his hand, staring hard into his eyes. "Do you think it will help? Do you think his son will feel better if you dig into it? Go ahead- you have my permission, go and investigate."

Minho paused, unsure what to do next. Was he really going to? Was it really the next step from there?

"Not so easy, is it? Just saying you want to do it isn't enough, you have to do it too. If you do, you're going to have to put other things aside, and I don't just mean the job. Want to do everything? Fine, go solve all the cases. Young k and I will sit here and wait,"

"No, hyung-"

"You have to listen to me, what I'm saying. You're my responsibility, I've been doing this for years! I have things I can help you with as your teacher, if you stop being so stubborn for one second-!"

Wonpil stepped up, hitting Jae on his forehead for going overboard. "The kid's sorry hyung, leave him alone."

Jae snapped back, Pouting at Wonpil with betrayal. "You're never on my side!"

"You're an adult!"

"Stop fighting!" Jeongin's voice rang, slamming his empty mug on the table with annoyance. "This is the worst day ever!"

Minho sighed, silently agreeing. They all needed a distraction, stat.

Chan stepped back out of the receptors' office, this time with his backpack on one shoulder. "I'm going home." He announced, stopping to lean against a wall on his way out. What's stopping you? Minho thought, having already ran out of patience.

"Sure, we all need a day off." Wonpil agreed, looking back at Chan.

"Take your time." Jae muttered, looking pointedly to the side.

"See you tomorrow..?" Minho ended, following Chan's gaze to where Jeongin was sitting, back turned to him and rocking dangerously in his chair. The older sighed, making his way over to look at him.

Jeongin gasped, losing his hold of the table and seeing his life shortly flash before his eyes before realizing he wasn't falling, chair secure in Chan's hold.

"Don't do that, you'll fall…" He muttered, lifting his chair back into place before making his way out without a goodbye.

Minho stared, noticing the embarrassed blush Jeongin was sporting. "No seriously, did you two fight?"

"None of your business." Jeongin spat, grabbing his cup and storming back into the kitchen.

Okay.

"I think that's my que to leave too. I'm sorry for being like this, I don't want to fight- you know you guys are important to me…" Minho parted, feeling like his time there was over despite arriving not so long ago.

"No, Minho, stay-" Wonpil started, Jae shaking his head. "I'm not giving you a new case today anyway. Come back next week, we can try again."

Minho nodded, picking his things awkwardly and heading back to his apartment.

Why were things so complicated?

.

Minho sat in bed, the morning sun mocking in his insomniac state. What would it take to get a good rest?

He turned to his phone, noticing he had a few unread messages from Felix and Hyunjin. His gift box for Jisung still sat neatly next to his bed, and he couldn't help but wonder when and if he would give it to him.

Never, maybe?

Just as he had that thought his phone rang, leading him to stare at it with a disbelieving expression. It was too early for anyone to be calling, let alone Jisung.

"Hello?" He answered, unsure if he was expecting him to be drunk at seven am, or at least severely messed up.

"Hyung? Did I wake you up?"

Minho blinked, finding Jisung's voice surprisingly clear. "No," He replied honestly, since he really wasn't sleeping before.

"I'm sorry, I just had an emergency and didn't know who to call," Jisung started, Minho immediately standing up and putting him on speaker so he could search for a pair of pants to wear.

"It's nothing serious-" he continued, Minho pulling his sweats up and picking a dirty shirt from the floor. At seven am, what could possibly-

"I'm not hurt- hyung, are you there?"

Minho paused, shirt halfway over his head. "You're not hurt?"

"No, I'm not," Jisung assured, Minho throwing the shirt away with disgust. "Why did you call then?"

"My family is coming over today, I thought this might be a good time to call on that favor you offered, what with doing my dishes and all." Minho stared at air, wondering if the younger was joking. Was it a joke?

"I wasn't going to ask, but they're coming all the way from malaysia and I don't have a clue about hosting anyone other than friends, the apartment's a mess and Seungmin is back home."

Minho closed his eyes, hand pinching the bridge of his nose. He did know today was a school day, right?

He let the question hang in the air, waiting for Jisung's response. "Yeah I know, if I had all morning I would have done it myself but I'm in a pinch, I need to clean and make food by six or so. I didn't want to call you last minute, but I guess right now is a bit too early."

"You think?" Minho asked, tone softer than intended. "Okay."

"Okay? As in, you'll help?"

"I'll help," Minho confirmed, smiling widely at the array of cheers from the other's end. "Don't get too ahead of yourself, I accept pay by food."

"Yes!" Jisung accepted, somehow lifting Minho's mood far beyond what he considered possible nowadays. Just like that he felt so warm, eyes closing slightly as he allowed himself to feel.

It was Jisung, his affect- he made him so happy, Minho was in love.

He felt giddy throughout all of his classes, unable to stop at even the memory of all the horrible things he suspected Jisung of. Before leaving for the dorms he passed at home, putting on the new pair of jeans he hadn't worn since buying them with Ryujin that time,

Adding just a little makeup to make his eyes look less, well, dead-

Grabbing the headphones-

Driving to Jisung's and parking outside,

-and, what exactly was Minho doing?

He paused, finding himself panicking right before he got the opportunity to knock. Was he stupid or just blind? He couldn't be caught dead catching feelings this hard, not for Jisung, not when he decided ages ago not to.

He took a deep breath, considering calling Jisung and telling him he can't come, which was stupid considering he was already at his door.

Before he could act on that thought the door opened, Minho finding himself face to face with a ridiculously dressed Jisung. His head was wrapped in a bandana, yellow apron on and glasses hanging low.

"Minho?" He asked, smile quick to brighten up his featured. "You came!"

Minho felt his heart skip, unable to think straight. No, his thoughts have been very, very gay.

"Y- You, you wear glasses?" He asked, blinking fast.

"Ah, my normal lenses ran out, it's hard to find my exact type, so." It truly was difficult to find ones with both a number and Jisung's exact color, which is why he should have ordered it ahead- his mistake this time, he had to run get the normal colored ones.

Minho bit his lip, eyes stuck on Jisung's face.

"Well, come in?" He invited, slightly embarrassed at being stared at like that. He took the box from Minho's hands, placing it on the table without processing what it actually was.

"These are for you, by the way." Minho pointed, inhaling hard to snap himself out of it.

"Really? What-" Jisung turned, paying attention this time around. He paused, walking back to it to turn it around with caution.

"Hyung, are you serious…?" He asked, looking at Minho with stars in his eyes.

"Yeah."

Jisung stared, the two maintaining eye contact.

"Can I hug you?" Jisung asked, visibly touched. "They look like they cost a lot, and you shouldn't have…"

Minho smiled, happy to see he liked it. "It's for you, I thought hard about what you might like, so…"

Jisung looked ready to cry, rushing in to give Minho a soft hug. "You're the best, hyung, really."

Minho let himself get near overwhelmed, basking in the other's touch. He smelled good, good enough to bury his face in his neck if Minho allowed himself, which he didn't.

Jisung let him go shortly after, smile bright and beautiful, horribly kissable right in his face. "Cooking first? This place is relatively clean, but I wouldn't know what to do if my parents showed up and I had nothing made- wait,"

Minho hummed, enticed.

"Do you think we can make a chicken dish? I bought some this morning but I've never cooked one before, I usually order."

Minho considered it, trying to remember a good recipe. "Yeah, I can handle that much."

Jisung pushed his glasses up, dumbfounded. "Handle? How would you handle chicken?"

Minho shrugged, pulling up his sleeves and turning to the sink. "I can handle the chicken dish if you find some good sides to go with it."

"Huh?" Jisung voiced, still unable to process it. "You mean, you can cook?"

Minho turned to look at him, surprised. "You didn’t know? Why did you call me then?"

Jisung flushed slightly, the sight of it melting Minho's heart. "I thought it would be fun…" He admitted, turning to wash his hands as well. Minho laughed, his warm gaze alone causing Jisung to blush harder. He didn't know his affect on him, that dumbass.

Jisung took the Chicken out, hesitantly following Minho's instructions on how to deal with it. He pointed out a few other dishes he wanted to try, having gathered recipes for those on the internet beforehand, buying all the necessary ingredients.

The two of them worked around each other smoothly, Minho recalling his youth; making food on his own, mother abroad for business, handling his first kitchen fire with minimal damage to the counter, graduating from omelets to fried rice and then broths…

Once he learned how to make jjamppong, he lived on only that for a month.

He's even made seaweed soup on his birthday.

"What are you thinking about?" Jisung asked, and Minho was filled once again with his warmth, knowing he finally had who to cook with.

"You, having you around; I'm used to cooking alone." He answered honestly, Jisung humming in response.

"You should come more often then," He concluded, eyes meeting Minho's.

The two finished cooking, Minho turning the stovetop all the way down to keep the food warm without overcooking it. They put the sides in the fridge, keeping just the warm ones ready for re-heating on the counter before turning to each other.

"Now clean?"

"Now we clean."

Jisung looked over his cabinet, handing Minho gloves and a face mask to keep dirt and dust away from his nose and mouth.

They picked up two squeegees, Jisung pouting slightly as he poured out water mixed with bleach after a small argument that ended with Minho vetoing his mixing bleach and fabric softener ("It smells better!" "You're going to die breathing chlorine gas.").

After they finished moving the dirty water down into the shower drain the two took a break, Jisung offering Minho some cola as a treat. "Now dusting, cleaning our bedroom… I have some laundry to do but I won't make you do that."

Minho blinked, confused. "You two sleep together?"

Jisung snorted, pushing himself away from the counter and inviting Minho to see his bedroom, where the two beds were obviously separated, parallel by the two outer walls. "Roommates, yeah?"

Minho exhaled, embarrassed by how jealous he got for just the moment he thought otherwise. He looked around, noticing the paintings stacked by the walls.

"Some of these are works in progress, you can have a look." Jisung encouraged, smiling proudly when Minho did. Catching a view of the seaside was enough, causing his head to spin once again.

"Jisung, is this Incheon?" He said slowly, cautious with his words.

"I mean, it might be? I hadn't been there in a long time, but I used to live there when I was little. I was born there actually, maybe it came to me from a distant memory."

Minho sighed, clinging onto the fact he knew for sure he was on Jisung's side the day Monel went missing. "It's beautiful," He said honestly, holding the canvas up to his eye level.

"You might like the others, too." Jisung suggested, eager to share his work with someone whose opinion he cared so much for.

Minho set the drawing aside with care, taking a look at the others. A showering man, the silhouettes of two dancers reminded him of himself, Ryujin by his side. Were all these people whose lives have been taken? For some reason it sounded wrong in his mind.

He straightened up, noticing the array of pictures on the opposite wall.

"Those are Seungmin's," Jisung explained hurriedly, searching Minho's expression. "He's a photographer, pretty good at it."

Minho stared, mind developing a new theory. Was his roommate an accomplice in this? Is that how..?

The pictures were all taken from around campus, but nothing assured him there weren't any more. Maybe Seungmin was the one passing Jisung classified crime scene shots, he'll have to ask at the station about it.

He looked back to Jisung, sad at having to think those bad thoughts. Couldn't he let them go? Spend the day here, by his side with nothing standing between them, letting his heart lead without his brain butting in and disrupting… It sounded so tempting, and yet,

He could not.

"Let's finish dusting… when did you say they will be here?" Minho asked, hoping to distract himself a little.

"We have fifteen minutes, I thought you'd be in and out without meeting them but you did say you wanted to stick around for the food, so…"

Minho hummed, raising his mask up to cover his nose. "You clean here, I'll do the kitchen."

Jisung accepted, the two of them parting to clean different rooms before meeting up to finish the living room together.

Jisung stood on his toes' end, trying to reach a picture up on the wall. Minho stared, wondering if he'd pick a stepstool anytime soon. If he was, he was dying to see it.

Instead Jisung stood on the nearby couch, stretching and failing to reach the picture. He got back down, jumping slightly in a way that was so cute, Minho had to go help him.

He walked to his side, stretching to pick out the picture for Jisung to wipe clean. The younger glared, blushing as if the idea of being helped was offensive in itself. When he finished Minho hung it back up, pulling down his mask and turning to look down at Jisung at his side.

"Hello."

"Hey."

Minho stared, feeling a sort of uncomfortable tension dragging his eyes down to Jisung's lips. They stayed there mostly, glancing up just to see Jisung doing the same. His breath felt heavy, knowing he was pretty much helpless under his gaze.

God, he was so beautiful like this.

Jisung leaned in, Minho subconsciously doing the same. Their noses brushed, eyes closing halfway only to snap open at the sound of a knock. Minho inhaled sharply, taking a step back.

Oh, they had guests- he forgot about it.

Minho panicked, taking another two steps away before he could do something he'd regret. "Y- you should take that, probably." He stammered, eyes wide and hand raised to cover his lips defensively.

Jisung let out a disappointed sigh, stepping away to put their headbands and masks aside before opening the door.

"Jisung! Honey, it's been too long! Look how tall you've gotten!" His mother praised, flow of words spilling the moment they locked eyes.

The two that followed were men, both taller than Jisung with the older between them passing Minho's height as well.

"And you are?"

Minho stiffened, feeling pressured to make a good first impression. What did it matter? He wasn't interested in Jisung, he wasn't-

"Lee Minho, It's nice to meet you, sir." Minho greeted, bowing slightly.

"Ah! Minho? Of course we know who you are, it's nice to finally meet you!" The younger of the two men realized, leading Minho to believe he was Jisung's brother.

Jisung's eyes widened, hitting his brother to keep him from talking. He glared furiously, quickly mouthing something Minho wasn't fast enough to catch.

"Oh, okay." His mother accepted. "It's nice to meet you, we heard absolutely nothing about you, not a word."

"Mom," Jisung whined, hands covering his face. "My mom bullies me. Please leave so I can die in peace."

Minho laughed, feeling a sort of satisfaction at being recognized. It helped ease his tension a bit, realizing these people were just like Jisung in many ways. As such, he found that he liked them instantly.

They all sat to eat, Jisung passing more credit to Minho over the food than was due, considering Jisung did half the work even if Minho was unofficially in charge. They both found themselves laughing a lot more than usual too, and Minho only wondered if it was genetic, the happy virus they passed to him.

It might have been Jisung's doing alone though.

He might have liked this family too much, then.

"If you ever need anything, know you're free to call me. We may not be able to visit very often, but when we do you should join us. You're part of the family, no take-backs now!" Jisung's mother joked, making it obvious Jisung got his form of speech from her rather than from the men of his family.

Minho passed a hand through his hair, feeling at home with the small family. Weird how it happened, they've adopted him.

"Yeah! I know my brother's pretty tough, but it's reassuring he has someone like you. Keep him safe, alright? Make sure he stays out of trouble."

Minho nodded slowly, hesitantly looking at Jisung who was leaning on one hand, staring at him. His cheek got squished by the position, other cheek puffed with food in a way that immediately made Minho coo rather than worry as he planned to do.

Jisung, next to him.

Things have gotten way, way out of hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, by the way! sorry I'm a few hours late today, I got caught up at work.  
> How was your week? are you all doing well? Please tell me your thoughts on the story, I love hearing them ~


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toot Toot~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient with me! I uploaded as soon as I could because I was caught up in work :0  
> Enjoy! <3

"What do you mean you hung out? Jisung, are you out of your mind?" Seungmin scolded, sitting on his friend's bed in order to hit him lightly.

"Ow, ow- stop being so violent, it went great!" Jisung defended, pushing Seungmin off and rolling to his side, absentmindedly tugging his headphones lower on his neck.

"And what are those? I swear, I leave you for two weeks and you make the worst decisions- I thought you were saving money? Don't tell me you spent it on that."

Jisung blushed lightly, turning to face his roommate in rage.

"They were a gift, I'm not stupid! I'm saving my paychecks."

"What, from your mom?" Seungmin criticized, crossing his arms in a way that seemed way too judgmental.

"From Minho…" Jisung trailed off, eyes darting to the floor.

"Really."

"Yes," Jisung insisted, butterflies wilding around at the memory. It was so comforting, knowing Minho cared.

"You mean, the boy who pointedly doesn't like you?"

Seungmin walked away, exasperated. Too quickly he decided Jisung probably was lying, losing interest in his excuses.

"He did! He really did, stop being so mean." Jisung called, offended. It was true, Minho really did care.

"Sure. When do I get to meet this guy, anyway?" Seungmin asked, unpacking in the meantime.

"I don't know? Us hanging out was pretty spontaneous, but, Seungmin, oh my god- we almost kissed."

Seungmin dropped the shirt he was holding, turning around to stare at Jisung again.

"Stop lying,"

"I'm not!"

Seungmin seemed to think it through for a while, turning back to his suitcase with a shrug. "Almost's not a kiss."

Jisung groaned, frustrated at his friend's negativity. "You're annoying!"

"You're more annoying than I am!" Seungmin threw back, a dirty sock meeting Jisung's face unannounced.

"Hey!"

The two bickered, Jisung growing less patient with every reply. He really felt there was something there this time, so why would he ruin his good mood on purpose?

"I'm not buying it, you'll have to get him to tell me himself." Seungmin concluded, Jisung biting his lips with frustration.

"You'll see!"

Seungmin snorted, crossing his arms again. "See how? You plan on doing that?"

Jisung inhaled, unsure of what he would do, actually. "You'll see, if you meet him- you'll see he does like me!"

Seungmin rolled his eyes at the claim, recalling the past attempts. "He turned you down multiple times before. I told you not to pine after him, I don't know why you keep trying. Find someone else, somebody who's worth it."

"You don't know him!" Jisung accused, sick of the fight. "I'm out, don't call me," He announced, taking his phone and heading right out the front door.

"Isn't that too much?" Seungmin mumbled, hit by regret. He shouldn't have said it, he was just worried.

Jisung really did like this guy, huh.

.

Minho gathered his courage, stepping through the doorway to the office.

"Hyung?" Jeongin asked, looking tiredly at him from where he was seated. "Back already… have things gotten better?"

I should be asking you that, Minho thought.

"I got a bit more sleep, finished three assays over the weekend…" Minho trailed off, taking a seat right beside him. "How are you?"

Jeongin sighed, moving to lean his head on Minho's shoulder. The action was shocking, considering Jeongin wasn't usually one for physical affection, and Minho assumed that it meant things were bad.

"I can't do this."

Now that was a feeling Minho knew quite well.

"You can, you've already done it for so long. Stay strong, keep going, you'll get there in your own time," He assured, knowing it was harder than that, more complex.

"I feel unloved."

Minho moved, wrapping his arms around the younger in a hug. "What about your friends? Family?"

Jeongin shook his head slowly, burying his face in his shoulder. "My friends all left for college, I'm the only one… oh right. Hyung I did it, I went to my mother and I told her that I have feelings for a guy."

"How did it go?" Minho asked, memories of his own coming out flooding him.

"She was… Never mind, but I think it will work out. We had a big fight, but she's not mad at me."

Minho got the idea, either way.

"You're gay, then?" He asked, carefully picking a topic.

"I don't know," The younger confessed. "It's the first time."

Minho hummed, heart breaking for him. "Only Chan then?"

"Only him."

Minho sighed before looking up from the other, eyes meeting a frightened Chan who rushed right back to the cell room. Oh great, awesome, another thing to keep to himself. He hoped Chan would know what to with it, at least.

-Because, if he hurt him, he'd kill him himself.

They cuddled for a bit longer, Minho blinking slowly when Jae entered the office. He eyed the two cautiously, raising a hand to rub between his eyes.

"Minho, good, I have a new case."

Minho's heart sunk, wondering what he'll be dealing with next. "I have questions too, hyung, do you know a Seungmin?"

Jae's eyes widened, unprepared for the question. "Seungmin what?"

Minho blanked. "I… Don't know. He's a student, I think."

Jae shook his head, walking to the files' closet. "We don't hire students around here, you're the only one."

Well, that settled it. Not Seungmin either, an option crossed out.

"Who is it now, that's gone missing?" He asked, curious despite being quite sick of cases by now.

"It's a girl," Jae began, Minho feeling nauseous at the idea of dealing with another case like Min-ra's.

"This time around I'm not gifting you info, question the people in her life yourself. It's a case fresh from this morning, her ex filed for her."

"Her ex?" Minho asked, already suspicious. "I don't know, you find out," Jae replied, throwing the file to him unceremoniously. "It's what you get for saying you want to do things alone last week."

Minho pouted, opening the case to look at the details. Ryu Kasoo, nicknamed Jess, which seemed oddly unrelated- is nineteen years old, reported missing by her ex at eight am after being missing for over a day, according to him.

Minho wondered if this case will be easy.

"Okay, anyhow, we'll be having a guest over today," Jae announced, gaining both the interns' interest. "Where's Chan, have you seen him? The guest is his friend."

Minho's lips tightened, recalling their earlier run-in. "You should try the call reception room, he might still be there."

"Oh, I guess, yeah. He knows he was supposed to visit around this time though," Jae shrugged, walking over to the other room to fetch him.

"Who's the friend...?" Jeongin mumbled, sounding upset still.

"I'm sure it's nobody important."

Jae soon returned with Chan in toe, looking nervously at Jeongin in a way that said a lot. Coward! Minho wanted to shout, go hug him, you absolute moron.

But, it wasn't that easy again.

Jae's phone rang, the taller answering it with a smile. "Yeah, word? Okay. He's here, perfect timing."

The two walked outside, shortly walking back in followed by a startingly handsome man with a cautious smile that seemed right about Chan's age.

"Hello," Minho greeted, Jeongin bowing lightly next to him as well. "Hello, nice to meet you."

Minho scanned the man with his eyes, noting with admiration how he seemed to hold himself straight, still casual, elegant with effortless charm. What was someone like that doing at the station..?

He moved his gaze to Jae, questioning. "Ah! Dongmin is here because he's adopting the kid, Monel's boy."

Minho's eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly. "Really? You are?"

Dongmin smiled lightly, looking a bit awkward under the attention. "Chan told me about him. I graduated last year and got a good stable job so I know it's something I can do, I want to."

Minho's breath hitched, getting overly emotional. "You'd really do that? That's so awesome, man, you're a godsend."

Chan on his end was leaning on the wall, avoiding everyone else's eyes. "How do you guys know each other? Chan, why didn’t you tell me you had someone like that?!" Minho called, unsure where to direct all those feelings.

"It's not a done deal yet, I wanted him to visit here so we can tell him a bit about the kid, his family state. He's got a social worker looking after him but they won't exactly talk about it, not after everything."

Minho nodded slowly, sinking back in his seat.

"I don't mean to pry, I just want him to be comfortable. My roommate wanted to come too, but he's a bit caught up," Dongmin explained, taking the seat Jae offered him near the desk.

"Quite bluntly, kid's been through hell. He lost his mother a long time ago, so his dad was all he had left before now. Don't try to breach the topic, and don’t get upset if he takes some time to warm up to you." Jae began, obviously eager to share, as they were all happy the kid would have a home, Dongmin was more than they thought they could hope for.

Dongmin's expression lost it's warmth for a moment, replaced with genuine upset. "I knew something like that happened since he's orphaned, but... Do you know anything he likes? Or things I shouldn't say," he tried, eyes moving from Jae to Minho and eventually, Jeongin.

The two stared at each other for a moment, the older surprised to find misdirected hostility there that he couldn't help but feel curious about.

"You shouldn't drink around him, and don't go near the sea I'd assume, since his dad went that way. Our conversation wasn't really to get to know each other, but it was obvious he cared a lot for his dad, even though they weren't exactly close." Minho elaborated, shaking Jeongin's shoulder slightly to make him drop the childish facade.

The younger stood up, making his way to the kitchen. "Okay."

Jae sighed, pulling out a case file. "These are actually supposed to be classified, but I'm only giving you what we got from the interview so don't tell on us, alright? It's for my peace of mind."

Dongmin nodded.

Jae handed him the file, slightly distracted when he heard the clinking of cups from the kitchen's direction.

"Is he okay?" Dongmin asked carefully, Minho biting his lip with slight worry. "Don't mind him," he assured, uncomfortable himself.

Deciding to take initiative he stood up, entering the kitchen with the other three still in their office.

"Jeongin, what's going on? You okay?"

Jeongin sighed, pouring boiling water into a coffee cup. "It's just, we haven't been fine for a while, and I knew he had friends but not… unfairly kind, handsome friends, the boyfriend material type."

Minho's brow twitched, patience quickly running out. "So what, this incredibly nice person shows up and suddenly you're jealous? They hadn't even looked at each other." Which was true, strangely, when he thought about it.

"I don't know, I just feel like he doesn't like me anymore. This kind of guy is closer to his age, they can be cute together, it's almost obvious."

"Stop being a baby."

Jeongin snapped, glaring at him. "Don't act like you get it, you don't have that problem. I keep trying to prove I'm mature enough for him, but if nothing I do matters, maybe I can be childish for a change."

Minho slacked. "Listen, no, I get it. I have my own problems, I know that you try but should know without being told that it was misdirected, acting passive aggressive to a stranger like that."

Jeongin lifted the cup to his mouth, changing his mind and deciding to spill it in the sink instead; he never did like coffee that much.

"I'm sorry, I just, I'm really hurt, and I don't know what to do about it…" He voiced, unable to look Minho in the eye.

"I'll tell you what. If you're so worried, just go out and watch him- you can see for yourself what their friendship's about," Minho offered.

"It's not going to fix it. I think if he doesn't like me I can't do anything about it, I should give up and move on. I was okay before I met him, you know?" He tried, words sounding awfully like lies.

"It's really dumb, that I like him. Anyway, he used to be nice but now he's only mean."

Minho felt his heart break, having to comfort the younger for a second time that day. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have encouraged you back then."

"It's okay." Jeongin mumbled, sounding a bit dead.

I'm in a pinch too, Minho wanted to say. My first love as well, I will give it up.

Jeongin shouldn't have to go through that.

"No, you know what? There was a reason I said that back then. Even if I get it, I think it's stupid. Your issues are stupid, Jeongin."

The younger finally looked up, staring disbelieving. "What?"

Minho let his frustration out, saying everything he wished he could say to himself. "your issues are stupid, they'll solve themselves out. In five years or so you will be so much older, four years will seem so irrelevant, minor. I know Chan is being a coward, but you two are special, and he likes you too."

Jeongin cringed. "You don't know that," He challenged, hopeful. What was he saying, anyway? Minho-

"He told me, he said that he's scared because you're young. You felt it, didn't you? When he looks at you, when you say anything and he reacts, he's going to snap be it sooner or later."

Jeongin's eyes lit up, cheeks flushing with new hope. "Really?"

"Yes!"

The younger bit his lip, fighting an eternal struggle. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"I am going out to him."

Minho watched with awe as he marched out, peeking outside to see him find a new spot against the wall beside Chan, the older's eyes widening when he leaned on him, head resting on his shoulder.

Better.

Chan blushed slightly, raising a hand to cover his mouth. He didn't move however, just let him rest there. If he didn't know them, he'd think they were peaceful.

Dongmin smiled lightly, glancing at the two.

He moved his eyes to Minho, nodding almost unnoticeably before resuming his conversation with Jae, and suddenly Minho was hit with the feeling.

What about him?

Who was there out there to tell him it's okay? 'your fears are all silly, just shoot for the stars?' Nobody, that's who, he won't tell anybody- If anyone knew, they would put him in jail, it was so devastating he almost cried out.

They kept talking for an hour longer, Jeongin and Chan maintaining the same position for the remaining of that time. Minho stared, jealous, trying to be happy for them.

He wondered if this was for the best as well.

Then it was time to leave, Dongmin awkwardly turning to Jeongin specifically. The younger looked back with surprise, hesitantly offering a hand to shake which was ignored in favor of a short hug. The man leaned down then, whispering something in Jeongin's ear that resulted in they younger's eyes widening before letting him go, chuckling softly at his fluster.

Chan looked away, embarrassed by the exchange.

"It was nice meeting you guys, feel free to call me or visit anytime to check on him, Myungjun is always happy to have company over," He parted, tugging on the edge of his sweater before bowing goodbye.

Minho stared at Jeongin, not subtle at all.

"Okay, well, I have people to question," He excused himself, knowing if he was going to hear about it, it would have to be another time. Jae coughed, quickly reminding Minho of his instruction not to investigate alone.

"Do you have any idea how inconvenient that is?" Minho complained, looking to Chan with some level of desperation. "Sorry, I'm busy."

Jae crossed his arms, thinking it through for a moment. "Jeongin, would you go with him?" He asked, letting out a sigh at the younger's excuse to stay. A good one as well, he had paperwork due.

"Well, you'll have to wait for someone from our team. It's pretty late too, so I'll say take the evening off."

Minho pouted, displeased. "Ugh, fine."

He was definitely not doing that.

It wasn't five minutes after he left that Minho got a text from Jeongin, reading "You're right." It made him so curious he had to ask.

"What on earth did Dongmin whisper to you?" He questioned, throwing his earlier resolve of minding his business to the wind.

"He told me he thought I really was cute, and, he" Jeongin's message cut off, three dots keeping Minho's mind intrigued.

"He said he, this is so embarrassing. I can't say it, I'm so happy"

Minho sighed, feeling relief wash over him as he read the next text. So, he was right, the two will be fine.

"-He told me that Chan was right, always saying that about me."

.

Minho rearranged his papers, reading over what he gathered from the sneaky investigation he's done against Jae's orders. The guy reporting Jess's disappearance was indeed her ex, the guy seeming tired of everything in life.

"I'm sorry, I'm just going through a hard time." He explained, offering Minho a cup of tea at the table. He proceeded to tell him all he could about her, writing down info the way Minho asked him.

"She was a bitch, I think, she messed me up real bad." He elaborated, adding in the fact that Jess was the reason for his recent break up. The more Minho listened the more likely it sounded he killed her, every bad thing she has done stacking up to an impressive list of motives.

"By the way, how old are you?" Minho had asked, the guy cringing a little at the question. "I'm too old for her, she's way younger than me."

"By how much?" Minho pressed, curious.

"Seven years."

"Hell," Minho cursed, quickly eating his words. "No yeah, I know. It went on for too long, eventually we broke up and I, well I was, dating someone my own age."

Interesting.

"You said she was the reason for your breakup?" He asked, readying his pen.

"She called and told me she was four months pregnant."

The pen dropped. "Excuse me?"

The guy shook his head, annoyed. "I think she was bluffing, she said we should meet but then didn't show up, I waited a day and then called the police."

Well that was one thing Minho hadn't seen coming.

"I know it sounds shady as fuck, I swear I didn't do anything. I just wanted to mind my own business, she's a trouble magnet is all."

Minho sighed.

Putting the papers aside, he shook off the memory to instead get undressed, stepping into the tall shower with trouble in mind.

Was this girl bluffing? Was she missing at all, if she was?

What could she gain from this messed up revenge, hm?

His thought moved back to Jisung, wondering if he knew this Ryu Kasoo. She seemed to fit the bill of someone vile, but Minho knew he shouldn't count on her ex's opinion.

Was she an artist?

According to her ex, something of that sort. What she made was ugly, he said- not very artistic- she did paint a bit for a creative outlet.

Minho finished rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, feeling burdened. He'll have to look into her friends tomorrow.

He stepped outside, absentmindedly rubbing at his right eye. Papers were spread out, words handwritten messily.

Example number four: Oscar-Claude Monet

Notable works: Women with a Parasol, Water-Lilies, Camille Monet on her deathbed, Bain à la something, a couple more French names to google later.

Background: He was a sad person, had his head so deep in his work that he couldn't connect with his wife and kids. He died of lung something, god, I hope this wouldn't go into the test.

Minho opened his eye, dumbfounded.

What?

Okay, Minho, you're going insane. Let's get some well-deserved rest for a change.

.

Minho sighed, hearing Hyunjin rant on about the last thing he wanted to talk about with him.

"Anyway you know, I think it makes sense!"

Felix glanced over to him, questioning whether or not Minho was going to tell their friend the truth.

"You know, Hyunjin, I think just because you hang out, it doesn't mean he's into you." Minho forced out, unsure what to say at this point in time.

He should have told him before it was late.

"But if Jisung didn't like me, why would he ask me out? I mean, we don't just hang out a little, we meet up pretty often. I'm sure it's obvious I like him, he just guards his emotions."

Jisung? Guards? His heart's on his sleeve.

Felix coughed awkwardly, not willing to butt in their business. Minho had to tell him, it's part of the deal.

"Listen, Hyunjin, I really don't think so. You know I'm on your side, but you might get hurt," He warned, unsure what else to say.

"Hurt by what? Minho, do you hear yourself? It's Jisung, I bet even if he turned me down he would be too nice about it, even though we fight a lot," He cut himself off, thinking it through.

"I really hope he likes me back."

Minho sighed, head pounding full of unnecessary conflicts.

"You should stay away from Jisung."

Hyunjin froze, staring at disbelief. "What? Why? What's your problem, anyway?"

Minho paused too, trying to find excuses for himself. "Just do, please. You're good looking, you know you can find someone else."

Hyunjin's jaw dropped, looking torn between offense and something more. "Are you jealous?"

"I'm not."

"Are you really, though?" He tried, looking oddly desperate.

"I promise you I'm not, that's not it," Minho insisted, watching Hyunjin slack.

"Then why… you're messing with me, why can't I date him? Give me one good reason." Hyunjin demanded, eyes regaining their fire.

Minho fluttered, frustrated with the discussion. "Because I don't like it, I don't like him with you."

"That's not a real reason, you can't just say that to me and expect me not to get mad. Why can't you support me?" Hyunjin called, clearly upset.

"Guys, please." Felix asked, sounding suddenly tired.

"Please what? You've heard him, don't you think he's being unreasonable?" Hyunjin whined, angry at his lack of support.

"It would have been nice if you two talked things out honestly for a change, but if you're not going to- just cut the fight, let me eat lunch in peace."

Minho hummed, stuffing his face with lettuce. Hyunjin kept on staring for a while, making the other squirm in his place.

"Do you two not get along? You could have just said so, I would have dropped it." He said eventually, picking at his own food.

"No, that's not it, I just want the best for you." Minho corrected, immediately scolding himself in his mind. If Hyunjin found out that he loved Jisung now, what scale of fight would the two of them have?

"I'll tell you what, next friday we planned out a movie night, yeah? Why don’t we invite him? Give the guy a chance."

And his apartment's address, Minho added in his mind.

"Come on, what do you say? Please, I promise it will be fun. Here, I'll call him," Hyunjin proceeded, acting on his offer before Minho could decline.

"Suddenly I have a feeling I will be real sick this friday," Felix said, low enough for just Minho to hear.

"You traitor."

"I don't take sides, actually."

Minho stared, helpless when Jisung answered the call, immediately put on speaker.

"Hello? Jinnie?"

Minho felt his chest clench, hearing the soft tone Jisung used, and oh no- he was definitely jealous this time around.

"Hey Ji, the boys and I are having a movie night this friday, we thought it could be fun to invite you too for a change. Minho's here, too, and Felix. How about it?"

Minho breathed deeply, feeling his heart sink.

"Minho? Hello."

The words were so soft, the affection just seeping out, drowning Minho with feeling of endearment.

God, he loved his voice.

"Hey Jisung."

Felix glanced at him curious, gagging at the sight. Apparently Minho wasn't subtle enough, so Felix was hit by all the cheese of it.

Hyunjin however, was looking at his phone.

Oblivious.

"Of course I'll go, I'd love to. Where are we meeting?" Jisung asked, Minho watching with horror as Hyunjin gave him his address to jot down.

Great, now this killer knows where Minho lives. Not that his state wasn't bad before now, but you know things could always be worse, as the situation just proved.

"Okay, we meet at seven, I'll see you there then." Hyunjin parted, hanging up after a soft bye from Jisung. Minho could feel his own phone vibrate with texts.

Darn.

Hyunjin smiled at him, happy that the conversation went easier than expected. "You do get along, if you meet some more, I bet you two could make fantastic friends!

Felix spat his water.

"You're right, I bet they would!" He gasped, struggling to regain his breath while laughing so hard, Minho hitting him lightly.

"Aren't you happy to see me suffer," He accused, snatching the younger's head under his shoulder to rub at his hair.

"No! No I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Felix squealed, almost as if he was begging for his life.

"You'll see, it will be fun." Hyunjin assured, confident. Minho meanwhile didn't doubt it as much as he was worried for what's next.

Then, he failed at making him let go.

Hyunjin was still going after his Jisung.

Minho sighed deeply, resuming his eating.

.

"Alright class, today I will be handing you out instructions for an individual project," The professor announced, voice lively as ever. "I know you guys wanted to learn more about the old masters, but we'll be branching out to different styles now, unlike the impressionists we studied so far. After this project we'll have Picasso, and then we will-"

A hand was raised.

"Yes?" The man encouraged, receiving the question with a smile despite the interruption.

"Why do we only learn of european artists? History of art should be inclusive, isn't it stupid how even here in korea we study of white people?" Jisung nodded along, agreeing with the question.

The professor hummed, tightening his ponytail before replying. "Excellent question! As you could probably tell, I hate the syllabus quite a bit too. Unfortunately I don't get to decide, I just teach it year after year after year, which is why- this project is a gift."

The students groaned.

"I may be a foreigner, but trust me, I'm on your side. The task this time around is to choose your own master, of any country and style, to use as an example in front of the class."

Jisung sank deep in his chair, the thought of presenting uncomfortable in his mind.

"I know art history is often a class of introverts, so feel free to do it independently. Couples are.. I guess, yeah, couples are okay."

The students blinked, making no effort to pair up.

"Yeah, I thought so."

Jisung huffed, used to his professor's antics by now. He would have to go and research art masters later, but for now he did his best not to stress too much about it. It would probably be kind of easy, unless he turned it more complicated himself, which he tended to do- looking for an artist he actually related to unlike the crooked, mean spirited ones they studied of in class.

When the lesson ended, Jisung's name was called out.

He walked over calmly, secretly hoping it was nothing bad.

"Do you have an idea already? For the project. I was wondering, you always show such an interest in the material," His professor started, tone slightly teasing. Jisung blinked, disbelieving. Well, he tolerated it- that much was accurate.

"I don't have an idea, but I'm sure I can find one! I'm pretty good at, uh, being creative I guess," Jisung ranted slightly, confused.

"Oh yeah? Well, how is that painting of yours going, now?"

At the mention of his art Jisung's face brightened, feeling more than a little proud of his work. "I'm almost done! since we studied Monet, I tried making the water as pretty as he did, but of course I'm not that good yet, mixing colors to the right shade is always difficult."

The professor hummed, blinking slowly. He turned around, pulling some papers out of his bag. "Let me know when you're done messing around boy, at this pace I'll be picking an artist for you."

Jisung pouted, unsure what he said wrong. "I'm not messing around! I might not admire the artist, but what he made was beautiful. Playing with different artists' styles doesn't mean I support them, I don't want the project to have anything to do with those men."

The professor smiled lightly, handing Jisung a paper. "Inside are your grades, just don't tell anyone."

Jisung gasped excitedly, taking a peek. "These are so high?! I was expecting them to be much lower," he admitted, the older men letting out a laugh in reply. "How's that for my favorite student?" he joked, Jisung smiling wide at the affirmation.

"Thank you!"

His professor rolled his eyes, giving Jisung a light pat on the back and sending him on his way. Jisung couldn't help but wonder if he should have chosen Monet anyway, if only to keep up the good relationship between them.

That would have been too two-faced, he thought.

Trying to come up with an artist to showcase, Jisung found that he turned out emptyhanded. With all of his paintings, he hadn't put enough effort into learning other's art- he was sure it was critical to fix that issue.

He rolled his shoulders, pulling out his phone to text Changbin. It's not that he had a variety of friends to choose from, and he felt a bit mad at Seungmin from last monday.

Which, reminded him, he should fix it soon.

"Hey hyung, how do you feel about a trip to the museum tomorrow noon? I figured I could soak some inspiration there for my next work, I have that project to do too." He pressed, sending the message only to immediately backpedal.

He started to type out an apology, explaining his mistake when a message popped up. The word made his heart skip, taking a moment to process this meant he had a date.

With Minho.

"Oh my god," He said out loud, getting overly excited when the older asked for details, as if this was nothing special for them. He didn't mean to send it to Minho, but by god if he was admitting it now.

Forget about Changbin, this was so much better.

He answered him cheerfully, taking a screenshot and sending it to Seungmin with some degree of pride. Maybe things would change this time- walking around a museum, it could be a perfect date.

Not exactly what Jisung expected of it, and yet, with him he would go anywhere necessary.

No Hyunjin!

He smiled widely, unable to wipe it off of his face all the way to his dorms where he crashed on the bed.

What a good day, he was sure it would go well.

On the same side of campus, a kitten was fed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean to tease ya~  
> Isn't the Jeongchan beautiful??  
> Jisung and Minho have a date too!!  
> What do you think about our guest appearance? ;)


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiss-kiss and make up <333

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW PANIC ATTACKS!!  
> This is where the tag comes in!!  
> Not at the start, somewhere around the middle

Jisung fixed his hair, staring into his reflection judgmentally.

"Come on, you look fine- You know if that dumbass wants to date you, he has bigger battles to fight than your face," Seungmin remarked, earning a sour look.

"Can you not? I'm so nervous, god, Minnie, what do I do if it's not what it looks like?" Jisung voiced, genuinely terrified of rejection this time around.

"Then that's just his loss. We've been through this one time too many, what's a rejection going to do now?" True, but not reassuring enough.

"Can't you tell me something actually useful like that I look great or, you know, the kind of thing a best friend normally says?" He complained, feeling his nerves eating him inside out.

"Well, would you believe me if I did?" Seungmin questioned, chin propped on one hand. With how sarcastic he's always been, Jisung was sure he would in fact not believe him but instead get mad at his mocking at most.

"Only if you mean it," he settled, taking a deep breath. It wasn't even a grand date, they just- it was a museum, Jisung's home. Nothing to be so unsettled about.

Seungmin shrug his shoulders, leaving for the kitchen when the bell rang. Jisung panicked, closing the door to the bedroom for no reason, really. Seungmin sighed deeply, opening the door himself.

Frankly speaking, Seungmin had no idea how to feel about Minho. The guy had broken his friend's heart multiple times, which was unforgivable- but then again, Jisung still liked him, and he cleaned their place. That ought to be something, at least?

Judgement aside, he was mentally unprepared to open the door just to see him look nervous.

He guessed he did lose his bet from before, then.

"Ah, hello! Seung..min, right?" Minho asked, voice slightly shaky. Seungmin gave him a once over, realizing with a smug grin the other was shorter than him by a bit. Excellent.

"And you're Minho. Good, I was meaning to have a one on one with you," He mentioned, dropping honorifics for the sole purpose of intimidating the fuck out of the poor guy.

Minho's eyes sharpened, nearly giving Seungmin a run for his money as he reconsidered how much he actually knew of Minho, and what were the chances of getting his ass kicked.

"Sure, go for it." Minho replied, crossing his arms over his chest, and- what was he even expecting to hear?

"Jisung is my best friend, so touch him and you're dead meat. Bring him home by seven; he's got homework to do, and don’t lead him on just because he's so easy. He gave me your address, so if you break those you should worry."

Minho blinked.

"Oh. That's, that's kind of cute. Okay, this isn't date but I'll take care of him," Minho promised, keeping eye contact with Seungmin all that while.

Seungmin fluttered. "W- then, you should tell that to him, he, nevermind, god Jisung, that clown."

Minho chuckled softly, turning painfully aware of the effort he put into his own outfit. True, not a date, he was just curious.

Simply put, Jisung saying he wanted to head to the museum for inspiration was the golden key Minho needed in order to foresee and stop his next killing. Although the two were set to meet the next day anyway for movie night, the offer was so tempting that he took it right away.

Meeting Seungmin was another task on that list.

Minho did his fair share of observing, remembering the pictures hanging on the wall. Was this guy really Jisung's partner in crime? He sure talked like it, but was weirdly endearing. Not to mention, he looked like a puppy barking at him.

Surely, he didn't believe it would work?

Seungmin sighed, moving aside to let Minho in. "Would you like some water? Jisung's not ready," He lied, glancing at the closed bedroom door. How long was his friend intending to hide there?

"Oh, no thank you, that's fine-" Minho replied, walking to the bedroom door with confidence before knocking on it softly.

"-Yeah?" Came the small voice from inside.

"Hannie let's go, my car's started downstairs."

The door swung open, Seungmin choking at nothing at how easy the seemingly impossible task of getting Jisung to calm down was for Minho.

Maybe they really were made for each other.

Jisung smiled brightly, awkward in a way that wasn't like him at all. He side glanced at Seungmin, surprised to see no judgement there. He too was aware of how cute they looked together.

And so, he wished them luck.

Jisung felt himself walking on clouds, clinging to Minho as they made their way downstairs. The older hummed softly, smiling warmly at nothing in a way that made Jisung so sure that he liked him- for real, it was the truth, he just had to catch it.

Snatch at that light before it disappeared.

He closed his mouth, entering the drivers side and tucking in his seatbelt before turning to look completely at Minho, embarrassing heart eyes all over the place.

Minho rolled his eyes slightly, rubbing at his nose to hide his own fluster. Aish, what the hell was this? He needed to calm down.

The drive has been lovely, good music blasting while the two took every chance to just look- soak in their presence, how complete they felt. And if he was braver, he might have succumbed then, he wanted to reach for his hand so badly.

Minho let out a sigh of relief when they arrived, escaping the car as soon as possible to get some breathing space from the tension they've had. He waited for his heart to settle, beats slowing down to their usual pace.

"Do you have anything you want to see?" Jisung asked, affection clear in his voice.

"I don't, actually, this is your playing ground," Minho reminded, fighting down a smile of his own.

Why was it always so hard to control it?

Jisung reached for his hand, Minho accepting it warmly. He led him inside where they paid for the tickets, Jisung leading right to the paint art exhibits.

"Our art history prof gave us an assignment, to introduce an artist we admire to class," Jisung explained briefly, the two stopping in front of one of the newer additions from abroad.

"Do you have anything in mind?" Minho asked, suspicious despite the warmth of Jisung's hand in his own.

"No idea, I never had to think about it. Does that make me a bad artist? I keep learning of new artists and trying out styles, but I never… I don't know, none of them seem like the person I aspire to be."

Minho nodded, tightening his grip on the other's hand. "You don't relate to them, then?"

Jisung let out a small hum, looking straight forward at the painting. Right there was a woman, holding both hands over a man's eyes- she seemed so upset, as if the act pained her.

"It's just, we don't study it very well, but they all seem like assholes in their own way. Once in a while you find a rare good person, but then you discover their bad sides as well- it makes me feel guilty, that I like their work."

Minho turned.

"Just like Monet, he was good but then bad. Wow, I'm glad I remember it," Jisung added.

Minho's eye hazed, recalling the name.

"A sad person.." He started, earning a sad smile from Jisung beside him. "Yeah."

Minho swallowed thickly, moving to look at the next painting. "What do you see here?"

Jisung stared for a moment, taking in the details. The painting consisted of two men back to back, a long tangled string tying their hands together- Around the two stood a full army of demons.

"these two are soulmates," He stated, pointing at the string. "This is the red string of fate, but it's awkward, the two of them can't even look at each other."

"This is supposed to be hardship in love, then?" Minho suggested, embarrassed by the topic. "What do you know about Monet?"

Jisung laughed slightly, eyes glued to the painting. "First of all that he did not draw these paintings, why are you bringing him up again hyung?"

Minho glanced at him, unsure what to say. "I'm curious," He tried, Jisung accepting it easily.

"Well, it's not that I want to do my project on the guy, but I did look him up on wikipedia once or twice. He was very good with colors, but it was a sort of obsession for him. Then when his wife died, he said, he was looking at her corpse laying in bed and instead of mourning he was studying the colors spread out on her cold face. How could he? He was too far lost in his art to feel something. That went for his relationship with his son, too- his family."

Minho took a deep breath, taking in the information. "And the good parts?"

Jisung thought for a moment, coming up with an answer. "Just that he wasn't an asshole, that's it. He wasn't a bad guy, just a bit too distant."

And surely enough, it all clicked into place.

Monel, then.

Minho sighed deeply, wondering what cruel god decided that things could never be okay between him and Jisung. Was that really it, the final clue he needed? Would he be able to lock him up now?

He didn't want to.

He turned to the next art, taking it in as he tried to calm down. The piece in front of him featured the two same men, but now they were facing each other, eyes closed. The man on the right was carrying long scissors with both hands, the man on the left covering his hands with his own, soothing. The background was broken like pieces of puzzle, and Minho couldn't figure out what it meant.

"They will be fine, the characters," Jisung spoke up, pointing at the drawing.

"How do you know? This guy's carrying scissors," Minho reasoned, looking back at the art from before. It seems, even face to face, they can's see each other's eyes.

"The puzzle. In art it always means two things- the end, if complete, or to be continued. Watch-" he instructed, drawing Minho's attention to the piece right at the edge of the drawing, blackened.

"They're not done yet, there is more to the series," he claimed, and Minho realized it suddenly.

"Where’s the rest?"

Jisung shrugged, noticing as well that the next art pieces have been of other people, different artists with different topics in mind.

"Maybe they'll add on. It seems fairly new, I think the artists is waiting as well."

"For what?" Minho asked, confused.

"For the people she drew to sort things out themselves."

.

Minho sipped on his drink, feeling considerably less anxious than he felt earlier that day. The two walked around at their own pace, Jisung ever so observant to things Minho couldn't see at all. At some point their hands parted, and when he reached back, Jisung found Minho walking away, out of reach.

How much longer will this torture take?

The two of them shared a long look, Jisung unable to stay sad about it. When he met his eyes, he just knew he was worth it.

"Hey, hyung?" He started, Minho humming in response. "Do you have a favorite so far? From what we saw, I still can't pick one artist."

Minho thought for a moment, taking another sip before replying. "I don't want to choose," he decided, figuring if Jisung ever decided to kill him, he wouldn't want to aid in choosing a method.

"Oh come on, you had to like at least one!" Jisung insisted, poking his ribs lightly.

Minho chucked, the touch sending sparks up his body. "Ah, well, I really liked the first three we saw. I think that is not what you want to hear, though."

Jisung scrunched his nose, proving him right. "I'm supposed to pic a famous artist, one of the masters."

Minho shrugged, eyes lighting up as they neared the museum's café once again. "Jisung, I'm sorry but look- look at that."

Jisung turned to follow his gaze, spotting the barista placing fresh bagels out for display. An immediate line formed, the two of them running to join at its end.

"God, those looked amazing," He stated, stomach growling lightly as the smell spread.

"You read my mind, wow, a bagel sounds perfect," Minho mused, worriedly counting the people in line.

"It's okay, we can make it."

A bunch of kids ran over, standing at their mother's feet. "We may not."

The two crossed their fingers, reaching the cashier to see there were exactly two left, tragic enough for the next one in line.

Minho paid excitedly, taking a bite off his own when he heard it.

"Oh shit—"

Jisung tensed, watching the barista drop the last bagel to the cold unforgiving ground. "Shit, I'm sorry-" He apologized, throwing it away. "I'll have to refund you for that, sorry bud."

Now that was a real tragedy, Minho thought.

The two walked away, Jisung pouting horribly in a way that made Minho's stomach turn. "Listen, Ji, you can have it, don't pout."

Jisung shook his head, sighing lightly at the offer. This was Minho's food, he bought it for himself.

Minho took another bite of his end, pulling the bagel out of its paper to offer the other side to the younger.

Jisung fluttered.

He felt his nerves peak, taking hold of the bread before taking a bite, feeling their faces come teasingly close.

Minho hummed.

He took his bite, leaning back to chew on it with special care, heart racing. Don't choke now, he prayed. Be cool about it, Jisung.

"It's good right?" Minho asked, chewing still. Jisung hummed slowly, face a bit red.

"Do you like this kind of thing?"

Jisung swallowed quickly, surprised by the question. "N-no, not at all, I hate it," He lied, face too telling.

Minho laughed, feeling warm. How cute, it was too easy to tease him- Jisung obviously still liked him, it showed.

"Another."

Minho ripped a piece of the bagel, feeding it to Jisung who only seemed a little disappointed. This was a dangerous game, after all.

At least it was tasty, a good piece of bagel.

Very good.

Minho huffed at his own thoughts, struggling to scold himself for misbehaving. This was way over the line, too couple-y to be fine, but he liked it, liked Jisung too much to care, frankly.

"Hey, movie night is still on, isn't it?" Jisung asked suddenly, distracted.

"Yeah," Minho assured, mind all over the place.

"I feel like this is much better than that," The younger admitted, intention clear.

"Listen, Jisung-" Minho started, suddenly sober.

"I know we're all friends, Hyunjin is my friend too, but I just keep feeling we're messing with him."

Minho swallowed.

"You know I'm not, I don't want anything else. I want to be friends, meeting like this is bad."

And fuck if those words didn't break him again.

Jisung felt himself turning empty, light fading out of his eyes. The same, he shouldn't expect it to change.

Stupid.

Minho bit his lip, watching helplessly as his love's heart got broken all over again. He wondered if Jisung would keep bouncing back, forgiving him still or deciding to drop him.

Was it too selfish to yearn for these things?

"It's okay," Jisung said finally, crossing his arms to cover his chest lightly. "Don't worry about it."

Minho fell apart.

"I'm sorry for doing this to you," He mumbled, unable to meet Jisung's eyes after talking.

"I'm sorry for sucking at being a friend."

He quickly looked up, noting Jisung looked startingly blank. "No, no don't say that, I like having you."

Jisung sighed, breath hitching slightly when Minho drew him in for a hug, hoping to sooth all the hurt he felt that way.

"You don't have to be so nice to me…" Jisung muttered, burying his face in his neck.

"I want to," He replied.

"I really want to."

.

Minho walked into the station, furiously shuffling papers.

"Hello hyung!" Jeongin called, drawing the other's attention. "Did you finish arranging it all?"

Minho nodded, setting his summary to rest on the desk. "I think I'm done forming a thorough case file, I have a few places to look for her next."

Jeongin hummed at that, recalling their joint field work on the matter. Not that he liked it, but Minho was good- working together was fair bonding time. When he was right there he didn't feel scared, as if Minho's presence scared off Gumri's ghost.

Although he felt ashamed to say he still feared it, while knowing what sights always clouded hyung's mind too,

He felt like with Minho nobody could hurt him.

"Well then what do you have?" He asked on, Minho turning to the younger with curious eyes at the uncharacteristic interest. "I thought you don't do cases?"

"I was there!"

Minho shrugged, picking up the first file and starting to read.

"Ryu Kasoo, nineteen, widely known as Jess, was last seen at a privet art cafe near her apartment, where she was, by register's account, making out with some guy.

This is despite the fact that she, at the morning of her last sighting, called her ex and said she was pregnant."

Jeongin whistled lowly. "She was my age, yet."

"You're right, she is too young." Minho agreed, watching Jeongin shuffle uncomfortably. "Too young for kids, not too young to, uh, mess with men, apparently."

The two shared a moment of silence, conversing through strategic blinking. "Anyway."

"Her ex filled her in on may 25th but he last heard from her on the 24th, that's the date she was last seen as well. It's been four days, so I'd say she really is missing, this makes her ex look shady as all hell, by the way."

Jae stepped out of the kitchen, having caught up on the last bit of conversation. "There you go again, throwing words into the wind. First find that girl before calling out murder."

Minho's mouth closed, lips tightening in a thin line. "I know that, but I have a feeling, Jae, he was seven years older than her, she made him break up with his girlfriend, said she was pregnant over phone despite making out with some guy, he's got all the motive he needs to go kill her."

Jae frowned, flicking Minho's forehead. "Do you know that she's dead? How will you take back your words if she's fine?"

Minho's eyes darted to the side, feeling ashamed. "Sorry, hyung, it won't happen again."

"I said what I said, don't be biased when searching," Jae warned, words ringing like a promise. "If you make things worse here, we will fire you."

Minho's jaw dropped, looking to Jae with fright. Did he really mean it? He knew he had no other place to go.

He shivered, feeling today's events hit him finally. It hadn't been an hour since he drove them home that he decided to gather himself for the station, taking his mind off of Jisung, now this?

He reached for the papers, desperate to read something- anything to stop this panic attack.

"Minho? Minho, are you okay?" Jae asked, feeling sorry for the threat. Minho felt his breath hitch, unable to focus.

"Wait, hold on, Minho! Breathe kid, what's going on-"

Minho felt himself losing his composure, memories of Jisung's blank face flashing in his mind. He hadn’t, he couldn't even do his job well. What was he living for without the station? What was he selling his soul for, exactly?

If he stopped working then, what about Jisung? He gave everything for this, he did his best all along, but nothing- it was never enough, he kept making mistakes. Too many people died, he didn't do a thing. How would he sleep? How would he live on?

He just wanted it all to be over.

Mom…

Minho shook slightly, barely registering the man moving Jae away, telling him to keep calm and give him some space.

"Minho?" Chan asked, sitting right next to him. He made a small sound, hazy and out of breath.

"Need water?" Chan asked, Minho shaking his head.

"Need hugs?" He tried again, Minho nodding shortly. Chan pulled him in a hug then, soft and comforting despite how he felt.

"You're okay Minho, look here, in and out-"

One

Two

Three.

"Is this better?"

No response.

Then four

Five

Six

Seven,

And finally, eight.

"Are you alright?"

"What do you think, exactly?"

"Good to have you back."

Minho wiped his face, noticing for the first time that he was crying enough to stain his jeans, how did he miss that? The tears flowed so heavily.

"God, that was scary," Jeongin spoke from his corner, hand covering his mouth.

"Did I panic?" he asked, answer frustratingly obvious.

"I'm sorry," He apologized after a moment of silence. "I usually wait untill I'm back home, for those."

Chan sighed, drawing him in for another hug. "That's not reassuring at all, dumbass."

Minho melted in his hold, hit by sudden exhaustion. "I can't stop it."

"I know," Chan replied, letting him find new calm.

Jae stood to the side, picking his nails with unrest. He wasn't at fault though, he only spoke truth.

Minho knew that.

"I'm sorry, hyung, I'm sorry…" He mumbled, Jae looking at him with a mix of discomfort and guilt.

"I shouldn't have been so harsh with you, I'm sorry."

He shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "These thoughts I share, they're heavy. I don't want her to be dead, hyung."

Jae's eyes softened farther, reaching in to pet his hair. "Never thought you did, little dongsaeng."

Minho let out a long shaky breath, soaking in the warmth through Chan's shirt. "Please let me stay here, I can't do without."

Jae nodded, deciding to let it all slide.

Just this once.

.

Minho fixed his hair, anxious despite staying in his own apartment. The guys were coming over pretty soon, including Felix who forgot to play sick.

He checked the living room once again, deciding to flip Ryujin's pictures over. He didn't want Jisung to know she existed, not if he had any choice in the matter.

He then rushed to the kitchen, preparing three bags of popcorn to heat when they arrive. The movie they picked out was something random, he wasn't even sure about the genre. Either way he knew, he'd be too distracted.

Taking out chips bags and making some coffee, he knew they wouldn't get tipsy tonight. Felix disliked it, so they'll all deal sober- he won't be able to run from Jisung, now.

Minho jumped slightly, startled at the sound of his phone ringing. "Felix? You're here?"

He walked to the door, letting his friend come in.

"How are we dealing with this, what's the plan?" Felix asked, following Minho back into the kitchen where he took the chance to wrap around him from behind, hugging him like a koala would do.

"There's no plan, I told him yesterday I just want to be friends." Minho supplied, tone bitter.

"You know, it's stupid. Hyunjin had a whole plan and stuff in place, but you come strolling right in with no backup," Felix mused, Minho frowning in response.

"You're my backup, no?" He questioned, hoping for a yes.

"If this is you asking to makeout mid-movie, I rather live so no thank you, sorry."

Minho huffed.

"What good are you then?" He asked grumpily, finishing up the coffee with a few cubes of ice.

"I don't take sides, you should fix it yourself. Besides, it's too sad if your cover up story is the only one who doesn't have feelings for you."

Minho stiffened.

"You'll be like, two on four on the not liking me squad. You're not alone," He pointed, half joking.

"Right, your cats do count. which one doesn't like you?"

All of them liked him and everyone knew.

"Hyunjin, Hyunjin doesn’t like me."

Felix huffed. "That's true, I forgot Hyunjin likes Jisung."

"What-" Minho threw back, cut off by the bell.

He sighed, walking back to the door to let Hyunjin in. "You missed nothing, we were just fixing snacks."

Hyunjin took his shoes off, crouching down to wave at the cats from afar. Soonie meowed loudly, making him jump and let out a harsh sneeze.

"Gosh yeah, here we go." He muttered, fishing out his antihistamines.

It was a bit tragic, this allergy of his- at least to Minho it seemed. Still he refused to lock them in his room; If he had issue, they'd move movie night.

Minho reached to pick Dori up, giving her forehead a loud smooch before letting her back down to go about her way- cute little siblings, he loved them so much.

Walking over to find their choice of movie on Netflix, Minho did notice his friends pick the floor.

"You do know the couch is big enough for three, right?" He reminded, unsure how to feel about it.

"For three yes, but not four- we can't have just one of us kicked off," They reasoned, Minho hesitantly sliding off the couch as well.

"No, hyung, you're supposed to take the couch, it's your house," Hyunjin insisted, gesturing to where Minho sat before.

"Well, by that reasoning, you two are guests," Minho shot back, slowly catching on. He could very easily turn this on Hyunjin, telling him to sit on the couch next to Jisung. However he didn't, stomach turning slightly.

If they sat there, his back would be turned. What if Hyunjin made a move on him? That would be horrible, because Jisung is dangerous, and doesn't like Hyunjin, and- and he can't, he just can't, he is Minho's.

How terrifying.

The bell rang, Minho getting up to open the door. He told himself off, tried to calm down his nerves before opening up, facing his Jisung who seemed so… okay.

Jisung greeted him uncaringly, taking his shoes off without sparing a glance in his direction. He paused a step later, freezing on the spot.

"Cats."

Minho's heart dropped, panicking for a moment before remembering it didn't matter, it changed nothing if Jisung like his cats at all, but he liked the stray cats so why wouldn't he- oh.

Jisung walked over slowly, letting Dori sniff his hand before petting her head.

Soonie walked over.

Minho watched with awe as two of his cats magnetized to Jisung, showering him with astounding affection. Could they smell blood, or did Jisung smoke catnip?

Jisung smiled softly, rubbing their ears and backs before glancing sideways, eyes narrowing at the sight of Doongie, resting on his shelf.

What exactly was this guy planning…?

Minho's eyes widened with shock, watching the man he was trying so hard not to fall for charm his cats one after one without fail. Jisung picked Doongie up, earning a loud complaint before curdling them to his chest, crashing down on the couch.

It seemed, the most uncooperative cat was now purring, a code red.

Wasn't this one of his standards for men? He wouldn't date someone his cats didn't like.

However, he never tested it before. Wasn't interested in anyone, really.

What a devastating conclusion.

Minho clenched his teeth, sitting down on the floor before pinching Hyunjin slightly, seeing him pout. No way was he sitting next to him like this.

If he sat there he might kiss him half way.

Hyunjin relented, taking his spot next to Jisung carefully. He sneezed hard, causing Doongie to flinch before calming down under Jisung's pets. Minho almost felt bad for him, almost.

The movie started, Minho quickly losing his focus with how bored the movie left him. He wanted a horror flick, maybe he'll calm down.

From behind him he heard Jisung talk with soft tones, Hyunjin replying with laughter and flirts.

He glanced to the side, looking desperate at Felix.

Felix blinked.

Minho sighed loudly, back against the couch. "Guys I can't focus, stop talking you two."

"Sorry," Hyunjin replied, sounding happy.

Minho stood up.

"Where are you going?" Hyunjin asked, standing up as well. "Can I come?"

Minho shrugged, slightly annoyed at him. "Just, making some popcorn."

Hyunjin smiled, rushing into the kitchen.

"Look hyung, you don’t like him, but he's pretty chill. I thought this through well, I want you to be friends."

Minho slacked.

"What do you say that, after this, we switch places? Talk to him a little, he's bored out of his mind," Hyunjin suggested, Minho setting the popcorn to turn in the microwave. "Listen Jinnie, it won't work. I really don't want to talk to him right now, it's bad enough that he's here to begin with."

Hyunjin pouted.

"Do it as a favor, for me? Just this once. Your approval means the world to me, you know? You have to like him."

Minho hummed.

He wanted so badly to tell him right now. Say Hyunjin, I'm sorry but I like him too, or say Hyunjin, this guy killed a handful of people.

What a crazy life.

He turned, looking into Hyunjin's eyes so full of excitement. Which one would it be? Which truth should he confess?

His breath hitched slightly, choking on his words. Hyunjin, stay away, or Hyunjin, I'm so scared?

Maybe both.

"Hyunjin, this guy isn't who he seems to you. You said you need my approval, but I can't- I'm not giving it, not with Jisung. We should stay away, both of us, for our own good."

Hyunjin's hopeful smile dropped, looking upset. "Why won't you ever give me a good reason?"

Minho struggled, thinking how to say it. "I don't want to hurt you, I know if I say it we're going to fight- you're going to have to just trust me this time."

"No."

"No?" Minho choked out, surprised.

"You will have to trust me on this one."

The two stared at each other, fighting with their eyes.

"Okay," Minho broke first, tail between his legs. He really did not want to fight in his kitchen.

He'll find a good time to tell Hyunjin, for sure.

The microwave beeped, the two of them walking out only for Hyunjin to rush and take his spot on the floor.

Minho sighed.

He sat down, glancing at Doongie who was peacefully napping in Jisung's lap, bastard.

Jisung let out a soft anxious breath, never looking his way for a moment.

The movie went on for five minutes like that.

Minho felt his heart die, watching Jisung so intent on ignoring him. He flirted with Hyunjin so well earlier, was it so bad that he couldn't talk to him?

He stared harder, studying Jisung's face in a way that made the younger flush slowly. He snapped in a moment, hitting his arm lightly.

"You're not allowed to look at me like that."

Minho pouted, deciding he definitely, positively hated the tension. He raised up both legs, placing them next to Doongie.

"What are you doing?" Jisung complained, finally making the eye contact he craved all evening. "This is my house, I can do what I want," He stated, challenging.

Jisung frowned, reaching down for popcorn just to have it snatched away.

"Stop that-" He protested, trapped under his legs. Felix turned around, raising a brow at them.

"Sorry this guy is just, insufferable." Jisung spat, Felix blinking knowingly before turning back without a word. Hyunjin then yawned, absolutely unbothered.

Jisung made another attempt at the popcorn, Minho moving it as far away as possible, out of reach. An idea struck, making his grin evilly.

The younger whined, struggling against Minho's hold. He let his legs down, keeping the popcorn away.

Jisung glared.

Minho took a quick glance at his friends, making sure no one was paying attention before placing a popcorn bit between his teeth.

"What are you playing at?" Jisung asked, annoyed.

Minho pulled the popcorn into his mouth, freeing the space for him to reply.

"You said you wanted popcorn, didn't you?"

Jisung gaped, watching Minho place another bit between his teeth, expecting. He glanced down at Hyunjin, flushing a bright red when he realized no one was looking at them.

It almost seemed a bit too easy, then.

"Are you crazy?!" He whisper-yelled, hitting Minho who only laughed, replacing the popcorn piece.

His friends were right there, how could he do that?

In truth it might be that Minho lost his mind. He had an idea of how wrong this was, but between his idea and getting ignored, well. He might be a little bit crazy for Jisung.

Jisung bit his lip, eyes meeting Minho's.

He leaned in.

Time stopped, the two of them staring right at each other's lips. Just a little farther, one inch more to go, it all could be over- what they've waited for.

"You guys, I think I'm falling asleep. The actors keep getting cockblocked, it's getting repetitive." Felix stated, turning around only to stare at the two with disbelief.

Minho removed the popcorn, setting the bowl back down with shame.

"I'm with you, let's put on something with more action going," Hyunjin agreed, stretching with his face still turned towards the tv.

Minho took a deep breath, inhaling sharply when he heard Jisung laugh.

He missed that sound, he missed it so, so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shh don't yell, they'll get there eventually. I feel evil.... lmao  
> Was Min's panic attack too much? I tried to make it as similar to my own panic attacks as i could, it's not pleasent.... At least Chan was there for him, that angel.  
> Also, next week may not bring another chapter. Why? because I suck, and I have work, and I had no time to write for two weeks straight (took weekend shifts).  
> I do however have a few bonus shots I plan to release in a side series. I wanted to post them later on in the fic, after a big revelation is made, but because I have nothing else to offer I might post them. I hadn't decided yet... Could you guys wait a few more weeks for better timing or will you starve? Let me know.  
> And as always.... Have a fantastic week!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some much needed conversations are held

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! Since I only gave you a half-assed smut update last week, here's a longer update than usual!

"I don't know how we're going to bring Kkami, but we'll probably figure it out since my mom and I won't leave him but my dad really wanted to go hiking for a while," Hyunjin blabbered, words never truly reaching Minho's consciousness through the phone.

"Hyunjin."

The other paused, line of thought abruptly cut. "Yes, hyung?"

Minho took a deep breath, deciding to put an end to their issue. "We have to talk."

The tension rose out of seemingly nowhere, Hyunjin taking another moment to respond. "We do."

"About Jisung."

"Okay."

Minho thought it through again, getting the vivid image of Hyunjin biting his lip on the other end of the call. "Tonight."

Hyunjin's breath eased at that, almost relieved. "When's that? Should we meet?"

Minho hummed, mentally flickering through his schedule. "Tomorrow night, even? Not tonight, tomorrow," He had an assignment to finish tonight, he couldn't have his head wrapped around these thoughts.

"That sounds perfect. I have to go, hyung- text me the details, bye!" Hyunjin ended, almost escaping out of the conversation. Short beeping followed, and Minho relaxed.

Alright.

.

Minho blinked slowly, staring up at his phone. He brought it to his ear, answering with slight hesitation. "Hyung? What happened? It's near one am."

Jae's sigh sounded from the other end of the line, disappointed yet not surprised to find Minho wide awake at this hour. "Boy, you ought to get here first thing tomorrow; someone reported your girl in ten minutes ago."

Minho sat up in bed, blanket falling to the side in his rush. "What? Where?"

"One of those privet dining rooms downtown, she was laying face down in a dinner plate," He described, non too light on the imagery.

"Is she alive?" Minho asked anyway.

"What do you think?"

He paused, answering his own question in his mind. "How many days was she in there?"

"A week or so. Food was totally rotten, they said. Her too."

Minho shivered, trying to fight back an overwhelming wave of nausea and guilt at not finding her sooner. He's researched so thoroughly, tried his best, and yet.

"I can hear you overthinking from here. I saw your papers, you've done a good job- there's nothing we can do if they die like this. I think you may be right though this time, there was one detail that threw me way off guard."

Minho hummed, listening intently.

"Another plate, someone clearly ate with her."

The line fell into silence.

"Hyung, you don't think-" Minho started, voice cracking.

"I'm moving this one to the prosecution. I am telling you because it's your case, you're going to have to hand it over to the big shots."

"I think I should study to become a prosecutor…" Minho mumbled, bitter. How was it that those guys only took easy cases?

"Mhm, go for it. Horribly morbid and a waste of a bright mind, but sure."

Minho rolled his eyes, biting on his thumb as he ran over the details. "Mind if I say what I think for a moment? Or will that be overstepping?"

Jae sighed, muttering something to the side before replying. "Go for it kid, hit me up. Someone clearly offed her this time, I don't mind entertaining you for a while."

Minho hesitated for a moment, deciding to let his suspicion off his chest. "I don't think her ex killed her at all. I think it was her new boyfriend who did it."

The line stilled.

"What?"

Minho stood up from his bed, walking in circles as he started to rant. "First of all, since we know she had someone new, isn't it weird that guy didn't report her missing as well? Actually, I couldn't even reach a single lead as to who he was. Her friends didn't know him, the restaurant they visited together had him sign with a scratch, their description of him was just 'long orange hair', I mean, that's so shady, he's a mystery."

Jae started to comment, Minho cutting him off with another long string of words.

"And before you say no, that guy had reasons to kill her too! If she was really pregnant, maybe he didn’t like that, maybe he got jealous or she broke up with him-"

"Minho, I get it, you're on to it bud," Jae said suddenly, causing Minho to finally relax. "It makes sense as a theory, either way they'll know once they take samples from the plate, alright?"

Minho exhaled, sleepiness finally hitting after letting out some steam. "Good job, you've done well."

He needed that, thank you.

"Okay, well, I'm going to sleep now," he announced, careful not to step on Dori who was rubbing against his foot. "Good night Minho."

"Good night hyung, expect me tomorrow," He parted, cutting the call and flopping back down on his bed.

"What do you think, Dori…?

At least it's not him."

.

Minho entered the office, halting in his steps when he noticed Jae dressed in full uniform. To his side Chan stood, dressed normally. "Hyung…?"

Jae turned to fully look at him, expression grim. "Get dressed in the back, we have somewhere we're going."

Minho followed the order carefully, finding a set of clothes ready for him there. He's never worn their uniform before, so he was surprised to find that the undershirt was just a normal tee, while the overshirt was stiffer, made of dacron. He clasped his belt into place and slipped the big black boots on, feeling suddenly ten years over his age.

This was the uniform he always thought he'd wear.

The shirt was slightly oversized, though.

He stepped back out, Chan's eyebrows raising slightly as if he hadn't expected the sight. "God, it's so weird, I don't know if it suits you," He commented honestly, Minho agreeing in his mind. He bet Jisung would like it, at the very least.

Well, actually, he didn't know what Jisung truly thought of his internship- it just seemed like he thought it was cool. Maybe it was a wild guess, and maybe it was wishful thinking that Jisung liked him no matter what he wore, no matter what he worked at.

"Where are we going?" Minho asked eventually, turning uncomfortable under their gazes. Jae tapped his foot lightly, crossing his hands like he tended to do.

"I hope you've slept well despite staying up- I'm taking you to a shooting range. I decided that after this case, sending you to investigate with Jeongin isn’t all that reassuring. I rather get you a license and have you investigate on your own, armed- I thought you'd like that better too, the freedom."

Minho gaped slightly, taking a moment to fully process the words. "Armed? You mean like, with a gun? Handgun? Carry it around?" Although he's been looking into a law enforcement career, the thought was so foreign, he felt somewhat faint.

"You're a detective, aren't you? Brian and I carry ours everywhere as well," Jae revealed, and Minho noticed for the first time the handguns tucked into his waistband.

He stared, dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry it took me this long to take you, but I didn't want to put this weight in your hands while you were still new."

Blinking slowly he melted back into motion, thoughts running wild through his mind. "What if I don't want a gun?"

Jae made a pained face, somehow expecting the comment even before it came. "Listen, Jeongin refused the same offer before, but that doesn't mean you can; not while you're doing field work. Making coffee unarmed is fine, but if you refuse to arm yourself before meeting up with potentially dangerous men then I can't take responsibility for what might happen to you."

Minho winced slightly, concluding what's next. "Then you'll fire me?"

"Then you'll be moved to Dowoon's department, with Chan."

He nodded dimly, unwilling to give up his place even if he still got to work at the station. "I'll go with you, I hadn't slept well though."

Jae sighed with relief, accepting it for what it was. "That's okay, you just have to do alright."

Minho hoped so.

The drive to the shooting range was mostly silent, Jae humming an anxious tune every once in a while. When they reached the venue he swallowed, peeling his hands off the steering wheel and heading outside first.

Minho took a deep breath of his own, counting to three before opening the car door and following his superior.

Walking into the venue, Minho found that it was way less fancy than movies made it out to be. The flooring was rubber, the kind of uncomfortable tiles that always gave him goosebumps. Scattered on it were countless bullet shells, and Minho fought the urge to pick one up, if only to inspect it.

"Welcome!" The instructor called, conversing with Jae in hushed tones before nodding twice at the sight of his badge. He soon left the room, returning with a few threatening looking papers.

"You'll have to sign those in order to continue," Jae explained apologetically, Minho accepting the papers only to notice immediately there were more than seven, including a short questionnaire.

He slacked, accepting a pen from the receptionist before getting to work. Full name? Address? Reason for form submission? Family state? Allowance? Phone numbers and IDs, he hoped nobody would get their hands on it.

A sharp noise startled him, instructor rushing to hand him soft earplugs. He looked to the side, spotting Jae holding a gun out, his gun, Minho realized- directed at a target, all the way down in the last isle.

Now, Minho has never been fond of loud noises. In fact, sudden loud sounds were one of the few things Minho despised with his entire being, finding himself frightened easily by them. By the time he was three his mom knew that much too, never letting her son play with balloons just for fear of them popping and making him cry. Now gunshots, that was a whole different story, Minho never knew that they rang out so loud.

He froze.

The gun fired on, Minho barely able to keep from having a panic attack at just how loud it was, how terrifying. For a moment he was struck with existential fear, cursing the moment he chose that field of work. It was horrible, the way that the shots took all his courage away in an instance.

The instructor rushed forward, shaking him lightly out of his frozen state. 'Put your earplugs in', the man mouthed out a warning. You will go deaf, you can't fire without them.

Minho blinked with effort, teeth clenched as he placed the plugs in his ears, hearing the gunshots still although they were dimmer.

While the sharp noise still filling his ears through the plugs was scary, the expression on Jae's face has been scarier- And Minho wondered not for the first time if he had a personal grudge against prosecutors.

He's been like that on Daerin's case as well.

Minho finished the form quickly, Jae heading back right on time to nod quietly at the instructor who rushed out once more. He pointed at his ears, Minho hesitantly taking out the plugs to hear him talk.

"You're going to sign out a pistol from here. Law enforcement professionals don't buy our own guns, we borrow and return. If anything ever goes wrong with your handgun, other than what I would teach you right now- don't touch it, just take it right back over here."

Minho nodded, realizing he hadn't spoken a word to Jae since they left. "Understood," he voiced out, Jae visibly losing some of his pent up tension.

"Listen, Minho, guns can be scary, but you should remember your gun's not for shooting- it's for looks, to say hey, I'm not helpless, I'm police."

"I don't like the idea of intimidating on first sight," Minho started, finding issue with even that method of self defense.

"You won't be. Is Wonpil intimidating to you? Well, Wonpil is an officer too, he carries a gun." Jae countered, melting the edge of Minho's nerves away.

"Treat it as a friend. You can only possess a gun after earning a license, which is a process I've luckily started weeks ago for you- that means guns are for good guys, like us."

Minho bit his cheek, thinking silently. "What about Chelle's?"

Jae's expression fell, having barely lifted during their conversation. "Her gun was illegally acquired, it had no documents around it."

"I see."

The two fell to an awkward silence, Jae trying to find the right words to start their lesson. "I'm no pro, right? I'll just show you the basics."

Minho nodded.

The instructor came in right on time, Handing Jae a training handgun to use rather than his professional one.

"okay so to start; recoil, you should expect it. Hold the gun tight and stance yourself well, copy me," Jae instructed, moving into position. Minho nodded unenthusiastically, doing his best to mimic the posture.

"Spread your legs a little, get a good grip of the floor," Jae corrected, poking at Minho's knee. "Like this?"

Jae hummed a positive reply, handing Minho his training gun. "Let's move to the shooting range?" He offered.

They did.

Minho tried to get back to position in front of the target, Jae correcting him gently into place. "If you don't stand right, you will fall on your ass the moment those bullets get shot."

Minho nodded. "Is it that bad?"

"You will see," Jae responded, ever so reassuring.

"Okay, now, how to work a gun- it's not complicated, and I know you catch up fast, but feel free to ask me to explain again. I want you to know all this perfectly, it's important," Jae started, Minho tensing a little as he dropped his posture.

"This right here," Jae pointed, drawing Minho's attention to a small lever at the side of the gun, "Is a decocker. Got a bullet in the barrel? Bad. You're going to want to disarm it. For that you have your decocker, press it and the bullet slides out peacefully, no bang."

Minho's lips twitched lightly, feeling grateful for the oversimplification.

The two picked up from there, Minho learning of the multiple safeties police guns have; the two of them sitting on the floor to take the gun apart, Jae explaining shortly about the mechanism, how to clean it, putting it back together and asking Minho to take it apart once himself.

He did, copying Jae only to put the pieces back in, forgetting the names of each part but soon getting the hang of that too.

Jae even explained to him how to aim better, telling him what he should look at to hit. Rather than sending him in for trial and error, he taught him to breathe right, to steady his grip.

Next Minho was taught how to put ammo in with a smack to the underside and load his handgun by pulling its head back. Jae hit him once he got it right, proud albeit a little flustered.

"God, you're a fast learner. Okay, one thing I forgot to teach you, the most important thing even- is that you never ever hold your pointer finger on the trigger. Never, unless you are set on the target and intend to pull it- keep five fingers on the handle, don't touch that part of your handgun."

Minho looked at him, visibly confused.

"This isn't a movie, in real life do as I say. Finger off the trigger, you only hold a gun like this."

Alright.

"By the way, Minho, are you sure you've never done this before? Not even once? I'd say, you seem like you handled at least a shotgun before, if not a handgun," Jae questioned, Minho shaking his head furiously. Why would he think so?

"I've never, this is the first time. I don't even like guns, it's the only thing I hated about the image of the officer I wanted to be."

Jae sighed.

"Well, now it's your baby. Not only for your own safely, think about it for a moment- remember that time you faced off Hwang Yeji's stalker? Your sister was there, right? And Yeji. He almost knocked you out, and then he would have gone after the girls, what would you do if Ryujin didn't act so bravely? What would you do if he hurt her?"

Minho felt dizzy.

"Don't say that, hyung, don't…" He pleaded. "I get it, so stop it."

Jae did.

"Sorry," He apologized, realizing he went too far.

"No, you're right, you always are hyung."

The two broke into silence, Jae cutting it uncomfortably to start his explanation of everything that could go wrong with the gun, and how to fix it. If a bullet was stuck a certain way, he should slap the ammo box's underside, and if it was stuck another way he should uncock it or reload.

Finally, they were ready for shots.

They ran it through again, Minho going through the process of loading and firing a few times with his training toy gun before getting handed a real police gun by the instructor who told him he can shoot whenever he feels ready.

"I'd say put on safety goggles and gloves, but honestly in real life you'll have neither. You won't even have earplugs, but I'll spare you on that one- guns get way louder than people expect."

Minho swallowed, placing the plugs in his ears.

He got into position, then aimed,

And fired.

Just one time.

His breathing sped up, ears ringing as he felt the recoil push him back and fought against it. He took a deep breath, glancing at Jae before looking back. The older have looked so expectant, and Minho realized he was supposed to repeat.

He aimed at the target, shooting until his ammo ran out.

It was thunder,

He felt so shaken.

Aiming the gun a little ways down, he took his finger off the trigger and let one hand leave the handle to take out his plugs. "Was that okay?" He asked, hoping to get it over with.

"It was well done, I think you've hit close to perfect there," Jae replied, surprising him. He did?

"It is!" The instructor added, checking the score himself. "Ninety five percent!"

Ninety-five.

Was that supposed to be good enough for shooting a gun?

"People don't usually score that high, you have excellent aim!" Jae complimented, Minho feeling hollow at the praise. "You should be a sniper, that good."

He blinked.

"Well, I'd say that's a passing grade. There's a couple more things they have to do at the registration, then you'll get your license and handgun."

And just like that, they were done at the range.

.

Minho sat down, mentally preparing himself for the conversation.

Hyunjin sat across from him, leaning his chin on his hand, expecting. The two have arranged to meet up, agreeing amongst themselves they had to talk out their issue with Jisung, since Minho realized he couldn't let things continue the way they were.

He had no excuse not to talk to him about it, an open and honest conversation.

"Listen, Jinnie, you know I work at the police station, right? I'm an investigator," Minho started, string of thought cut by the waitress asking them if they wanted to order anything. To please her Minho settled for iced coffee, Hyunjin going for one of those killer strawberry smoothies with whipped cream and candy to top it all off.

As well as he read him, Minho knew that was a sign that his friend was extremely nervous, despite playing it cool with him.

He sighed.

"So anyway, I work on missing person cases, when a person is reported missing I take on the investigation, and work it out until I find them, dead or alive."

Hyunjin blinked nervously.

"Yeah, I know that. So what?"

Minho breathed in.

"I was keeping it a secret, but I'll tell you because I can’t hide it anymore. For the last few cases I took on, I kept on finding dead bodies. Every time I did, the discovery was followed by Jisung drawing the exact place the body was found."

Hyunjin stared, disbelief clear. "What?"

"Since the cases are classified, there's no way he could have known about them unless he was directly involved. I looked into it but he isn't, at least not the way I am," Minho continued, the words leaving like a weight off his chest.

"So what, what are you saying?" Hyunjin replied, refusing to follow.

"I think Jisung is involved with these deaths, Jinnie, that was the reason I took you to the art show back then, to see his paintings- there is something horribly off."

The two fell into silence, The waitress handing them their drinks carefully. Hyunjin dug in immediately, immersing in the sweetness of his drink to distract himself from the things he just heard.

"Hyunjin," Minho started, unsure what to say now that he let it out.

"You're lying to me, you're a liar," Hyunjin accused lowly, Minho's eyes widening with unexpected hurt.

"What?"

"You just don't know Jisung, he could never hurt a fly. I can't believe you had the nerve to say that about him, to me of all people."

Minho gaped.

"I hope you're done, because I am," the younger parted, standing up with his smoothie, taking a couple more long sips before setting it aside.

"Jinnie-"

"I don't want to hear it," he rejected. "I'm going to tell him how I feel, tonight. After this, I see it's no use talking to you at all."

Minho stood.

"Don't do it Hyunjin."

"Watch me, you jealous asshole."

Minho stammered. "I'm not, I-"

Hyunjin took another sip, this time setting his smoothie aside for good. "I've done everything for you, you can't just support me-"

"That's not it!" Minho raised his voice, regretting it immediately when he realized just how shaken the other was by his words.

"Goodbye, hyung."

"Hyunjin!"

Hyunjin walked away and out of the café, not turning once to look back at Minho. He tried to chase him out, caught by the eyes of the waitress which silently burned at him, waiting for payment. Crap.

He took out his wallet, paying for both before following out, realizing he couldn't see his friend anywhere.

Shit, shit-

He took out his phone, dialing Hyunjin's number.

The line cut.

Minho took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Felix, then, Felix.

After a few rings the phone line picked up.

"Hyung? What's up?" Felix asked, sleep heavy in his words.

"Can you call Hyunjin for me? Tell him to pick up," Minho requested.

"Did you fight…?" Felix mumbled, Minho confirming it through the lump in his throat. "About Jisung."

Felix sighed, the words following causing Minho to pause.

"Well, solve it yourself, don't wake me up for dumb things."

He hung up.

Minho cursed with feeling, realizing that maybe if Hyunjin needed space, he could call him later. If he wanted to confess so bad, maybe he should let him- have him find out on his own that Jisung didn't like him, and then it will be easier for everyone involved.

That sounded better, didn't it?

He'll be okay.

.

Minho opened his eyes, unable to sleep once again in his poor state. It was twelve already, but that was early- he usually stayed awake until much later.

He couldn't stop feeling long enough to sleep.

"I don't like Jisung, it's Jisung who likes me." He said out loud, the lie coming off so ridiculous he couldn't help but laugh at himself right after.

Way too late to try that tactic.

Too late to take back the things that he said, too.

He stared at the ceiling, wondering when and if sleep will take him already. He didn't care for another nightmare -that’s almost all he had for the last month and a half anyway- he'd rather be asleep than awake at this rate.

The image of eyes, both of them staring at him, bright and warm. Jisung's pretty lips, his eyebrows and nose- His cheeks when he ate, puffed up and soft and so kissable, his forehead when he showed it, his pretty voice and cocky answers, his smooth skin…

What if he said yes? What if he and Hyunjin-

He couldn't let those thoughts plague his mind as well.

He committed. After telling Hyunjin about it, he could never pretend nothing happened, even if he wanted to. The cat was out of the bag, love triangle be damned- he wouldn't be able to tell Hyunjin the full truth.

Who falls in love with a killer? He thought.

Hah, this guy.

Checking his phone he texted Ryujin, sending her a quick SOS message on impulse.

"What's up?" His sister replied immediately, knowing Minho hardly ever got in trouble. Minho was surprised she was awake herself.

"After forever, I finally have a crush." He confessed, body slacking in defeat. A crush, huh? Right Minho, pretend that was it.

Ryujin took a moment, eventually settling on a proper response.

"And I'm hearing this now..?? How serious are you with him?"

Minho chuckled, hoping he was doing the right thing confessing. Never before had he shared his feelings with someone this way, but now that he was going to, there was no one he'd rather share them with than Ryu.

Well, and you know who- but that wasn't optional.

"Han Jisung." He replied, waiting for the storm yet to come. He was not expecting his phone to ring, however.

"Who's Jisung??" Ryujin questioned, Minho biting his cheek in excitement.

"I'm not going to date him, I just like the guy." He elaborated, light after getting the truth off his chest.

Ryujin laughed, and Minho imagined she'd be making a very cute and excited face right about now. "You're in deep trouble, oppa. I can't believe you- first crush and you're pinning?! I didn't see that coming from you at all. What's stopping you?"

Minho paused, considering the words. Could it be, that despite everything Jisung wasn't a killer?

Isn't it too late to consider it again?

"My friend has a crush on him too, he called dibs. I told him I'd stay clear, too." He explained, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment. By tomorrow that issue will solve itself, yet, he will never be able to date his crush anyway.

Ryujin gasped, shocked at the unexpected twist. "Is he stupid? You're you, you never had a crush on anybody. You must really like this guy, to tell me about it".

Minho made an affirmative noise, acknowledging the fact. Yeah, he really did like him a stupid amount.

"Who's that friend anyway? Someone you can't take on? You're handsome you know." She added, Making Minho laugh.

"Ah, actually, It's me and Hwang Hyunjin. You tell me if you think those genes are better or worse than our family's."

Ryujin fell into silence, probably flustered at the implication. "You're so mean! This was supposed to be about you. I'm embarrassing you, not the other way around."

Minho's smile widened. It was the Ryujin affect, as he'd call it.

"I don't think it's hopeless, just tell him to back off your Jisung."

Both paused, Minho feeling a sudden pang of sadness settle back in him. Even if he could do that, it wasn't the issue.

"Jisung, right? I didn't mess up?" Ryujin asked awkwardly, just making sure.

"Yeah." He affirmed.

"Han. You have to send me a picture of him, now." She demanded, Minho smiling sadly once more.

"You'd like him, I think. He's really bright, a healing sort of person. I have more reasons why I can't date him, I can't go into detail, but on a mental level- as much as the crush stresses me out, whenever he's near I feel fine again."

Understatement of the century, ignoring everything wrong with Jisung, but at the moment he was high on euphoria and love; let him have this, he thought. Right now, he just liked him.

No response.

"Ryujin?" He asked, slight worry bringing him down once again.

"Sorry, I just, I wasn't expecting to hear that. Does he know you feel this way?" She asked, tone soft.

"No. He likes me too, but I had to turn him down." He explained, ending the sentence with a sigh.

"You're kidding."

Ryujin sounded so infuriated, it was comical. "Why would you do that? You've never been fine in your life you dumbass-- how could you give up someone who makes you happy?!"

He choked slightly, knowing usually it would make a strong point, if only she knew.

"He's done illegal things. I think, I don't want anything to do with his life." He summarized, hoping it would cut it for her.

"So?"

His eyes widened, taking the phone away to stare at it before bringing it back to his ear.

"What do you mean so? I'm here living my normal civilian life, trying to get my degree and all, I don't need that."

Ryujin made a noise, making him think she was probably rolling her eyes on the other end.

"So what? Live a little, you snob. Obviously you do need him in your life, you can be the Bonny to his Clyde."

Minho stared at the ceiling, not knowing how to respond to such a comment. "Ryujin you better not be doing anything illegal back home counting on me to pitch you out," He warned.

"I'm not! I'm being serious. People live like that, if he stole stuff or got into gang fights, he could have had his own circumstances. Nobody's perfect, so as long as you like him he gets a sure A+ from me."

Strangely endeared by that, Minho groaned lightly. No, Ryujin, that's not it, not with killers.

"What if he raped someone?" He suggested, cringing at implying such a thing about someone he liked.

"Then you wouldn't like him. You say he's a good person, he makes you feel secure." She challenged, well aware of the rightness in her words.

"You're right, he didn't, but he did something just as bad. I know I shouldn't like him, it's just that nobody asked me."

Ryujin huffed, annoyed. "It's always like that, when you like someone. Nobody's asking, you suddenly have those feelings on your own."

So they agree, then.

"He's so pretty, is it always like that? I want to kiss him."

"Well, duh." She deadpanned. "He's your crush. He likes you too, I don't understand how you think sometimes. Don't you know how lucky you are? How rare it is to have your feelings returned just like that?"

"I don't feel lucky." He complained, feeling like a brat for making it needlessly difficult for her.

"You know what? Figure it out on your own. I'll be ready to meet him whenever, you know, you two get together."

"Hey!" Minho called, hearing a long beep.

He fussed, taking a look to see the phone signaled the call has ended. What a way to hang up, honestly. He wasn't exactly calm after that, but he did feel satisfied-

With the newfound peace he could finally sleep.

.

"Feel free to leave a message at the-"

Minho hung the call.

"Hwang Hyunjin…" He muttered to himself, confused and flustered by getting his calls rejected so consistently. It's been two whole days since their fight, didn't he confess to Jisung? Where was he?

Sighing, resigned, he pulled on a dress shirt- Young K and Jae were on their way already.

They had a funeral to attend today,

Jess's.

He cracked his neck lightly, feeling his entire back creak and break like an old man's. He's never attended a funeral before, but this time it the media blew up about it.

Jess wasn't pregnant when she died, so he guessed there was that.

She was only nineteen.

Minho glanced in the mirror, rubbing lightly at the dark circles underneath his eyes. For a moment he didn't want to cover them, but remembering all of the cameras, he did.

The titles all called for her ex's arrest, despite the case not going through trial just yet- the public seemed to demonetize the man, and Minho could only feel bad for him, since he…

He didn't believe her ex did it at all.

Too bad he wasn't a prosecutor, he thought- not for the first time, since Minho had no access to the result of the second plate's DNA test. Whoever ate with her was obviously the killer, and he wouldn't know who it was until the trial.

The funeral itself went relatively fine, a group of strangers and protestors gathered calling for the ex's arrest. Jess's parents looked just fine however, as if they both knew something the others didn't.

It made Minho wonder if they even loved her.

Would anyone feel sad for him if he died? Surely, someone-

Feeling nauseous he asked to leave first, remembering too late he didn't bring his car. The cameramen tried to interview him, although he had nothing to tell them at all.

He took a deep breath, calling Chan and asking for a ride home. The older agreed quickly, and Minho was hit with a wave of gratefulness that brought him to the verge of tears, but maybe that was to blame on his fragile mental state overall.

When Chan arrived he slid into the car, closing his eyes without saying hello. Chan glanced at him, knowing better than to ask. Minho deserved a break, they all did- he wondered how Jae and Young k dealt with these situations before he arrived at the station.

After a while, the silence turned heavy.

Minho coughed lightly, turning to stare at Chan, who was driving with both eyes focused on the road, never glancing his way.

"How are things going with Jeongin?"

Chan gasped, nearly slamming the breaks at the unexpected question.

"Don't, Minho, drop it. It's a bad idea and you know it," Chan replied, glancing at Minho at last, only glaring.

"He likes you, you know" Minho commented unhelpfully, waiting to hear the expected reply.

"He should like someone his own age," Of course,

"But he doesn't," He stated.

Chan glared again, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. "You ask for my help and then you do this, next time I'll say I'm busy," he threatened, words empty.

"Do what, encourage you to vent? Come on, entertain me, I need a good distraction. It's not like you have things all figured out either" Minho replied dryly, lowering his eyes.

"I do have it figured out! I just have to ignore him, then sooner or later he'll find someone new."

"And you're fine with that?" Minho asked, curious.

"No, but I mean, I'll get over it too at some point right?" Chan supplied, grip tightening around the steering wheel. "I still love him right now, but I know that it's wrong."

Minho hummed.

"I thought you were crushing on him?"

"A crush, right."

Minho blinked slowly, moving his eyes to stare at his hyung. Chan seemed to realize his slip of tongue, shifting uncomfortably under Minho's gaze.

"Listen, no matter how I look at it, he's just too young. I am going to finish college right around the time he starts, I'll want to move away. He just finished highschool last year, I barely have any memories of that time of my life left.

He's not even a freshman, do you understand? I'm too old for him too, he's going to go through college and meet so many attractive people his age, he shouldn't be stuck with a deadweight like me."

Minho frowned.

"Do you really feel that difference when you talk? Do you feel like he's immature, or find him unattractive, or maybe-"

"God, it's like you weren't listening to me," Chan complained lightly.

"It sounds to me like you dislike age gaps as a concept, and more than anything you're insecure about it," Minho observed, hitting a nerve.

"Of course I'm insecure! Of course I hate age gaps, all those points still stand, they're good points."

Minho sighed.

"Isn't that too black and white? Hyung, set it aside and you simply like him. If you wanted to you could work it out, you're just too scared you will break up after a while, that's stupid. You know the age gap wouldn't seem as wild to you if he was a girl, either."

The comment was met with silence, Chan electing to ignore it since he had no good comeback, despite never changing his mind. Minho continued.

"You never even take him into consideration, how he feels. Don't you want to make him happy? See him smile every day, that kind of thing?" Since Minho knew he did.

With Jisung, he did.

"He's not going to be happy with me, I know what's best for him. It's sad that it's like that, but he's better off-"

"He isn't! He's sad, he-" Minho cut him off, only for Chan to cut his words off in return.

"He's going to be happier in a bit! You have no idea how hard this is, don't you? To know it's returned, and yet…"

But he did.

"Neither of you need to go through that! He knows how it is too, but he's ready to try with you! it's you who's being stubborn," Minho accused, biting his cheek to stop his mind from derailing. This wasn't about him and Jisung at all.

The Boney to his Clyde, huh?

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Chan ended, looking like he could really use a drink. Minho barely even noticed they arrived.

"Get out."

"What?" He asked, eyes wide.

"We're here, and I'm- I think, I'm angry with you, I know you were trying to help, but sometimes… I wish you'd just be there for me when I need it. Face your own problems when you have them, don't use my life as a cheap distraction."

Minho slacked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like that…" He trailed off, exiting the car.

"It's okay," Chan replied, voice tired. "I'm leaving."

Minho closed the door, waving from outside.

The car drove.

Minho hates fighting with Chan, he realized.

He always felt like he was talking to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minho with a GUN guys, it's real!!  
> Anyways how were you doing during the past two weeks? Holding on well I hope?  
> Let me know!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer by the moment to something really cool~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! how have you been? I started working odd shifts, I'm a little out of my mind~ <3

It's been three days since he last heard from Hyunjin.

That morning he woke up feeling so relaxed, believing the other will call him finally, but that hadn't happened over the past hours.

Minho stood up from his bed.

He rubbed at his eye, seeing the view he had learned to fear greatly.

Example number five: Pablo Ruiz Picasso

Notable works: The Weeping Woman, Guernica, La Vie, Girl Before A Mirror.

Background: Picasso was a spanish artist who spent most of his adult life in France. He was born to a pair of artists who started nurturing his artistic talent after showing promise at the mere age of seven. In later years his realism began to show a symbolist influence, and so started his modernist period.

Throughout his life Picasso have been inspired by many of his mistresses and wives. He had lived through the second world war, gaining inspiration from it as well.

Picasso died suddenly in 1973 from pulmonary edema and heart failure, while having dinner with friends.

Sick to his stomach, Minho dressed himself and thought about the options laid out before him. He stared at his phone for a moment, considering giving Felix a call. Since he told him last time not to call over nothing, he's been hesitant to call Felix at all.

Jisung, then.

Minho opened his contact, hesitating for a long moment before deciding to text instead. He typed a quick message, asking if he was free just in case.

'Sure' Came the quick reply, which in itself told Minho the other wasn't busy making out with say, his best friend.

The image hurt.

'Just checking, Hyunjin isn't with you is he?' Minho added to make sure, suddenly not so confident in himself.

'Nope.'

Minho sighed in relief, ready to turn off his phone when another message popped up.

'Is that all?'

A pang of gilt filled his heart, making him feel bad for never texting Jisung again after the movie. He's been such an asshole, he knew that he hurt him, but he didn't know what to say. After all, they almost… but didn't, thankfully they didn't.

After five minutes his phone started ringing.

"Jisung?" He answered, met with an annoyed hum.

"Hyung, you can't just ignore me. It's been five days since we talked, five! I was so excited thinking you were finally asking me how I'm doing, even though I was in class I was ready to chat, but all you wanted is to know if Hyunjin was here? Why would he be in my art history class?"

Minho bit his lip rushing to console the other. "It's not like that, Sungie, I've been really busy. I care about you, but in the internship, some things have been going on-"

Jisung sucked in a breath. "So you care about me?"

Minho paused. "Obviously."

The silence stretched between them, sudden butterflies filling Minho's stomach at his own words. He rubbed at his cheeks, feeling that they were warm.

"You should talk to me more, that way I won't have to go through this whiplash" Jisung replied eventually, tone tired despite the subtle cheer Minho picked on easily.

"What whiplash?" He questioned, feeling his lips quirk up.

"Thinking that you don't care, then you do, then you don't," Jisung elaborated, silently accusing.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be," He berated.

Minho ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of a way to make it up to him. Why should he, anyway? Jisung was a killer and his feelings shouldn't matter.

They did.

Minho breathed deeply, walking up to his desk where some files were left resting. What excuse left did he have to meet Jisung? He could just pretend he was searching for clues.

But what if he snapped? Could he trust himself to it? Last time they almost… He couldn't do that.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Jisung questioned, obviously uncomfortable with the stretched-out silence.

"Us."

The direct response shook them both to the core, Minho himself running a hand down his face for slipping up.

"Well, you should share them with me then, your thoughts" Jisung claimed, right as ever.

"I want to make it up to you, but I'm too scared to do stuff, it goes too far every time" Minho confessed, choosing honesty over whatever bullshit cover up his mind could make up.

"That’s both of our faults this time. I can't help it because I like you, you know that" Jisung replied, just as direct.

"I'm sorry I keep being weird about it."

Jisung sighed, unsure how to answer.

"I still wouldn't trade you for anyone else."

The reply earned a big grin from Minho, heart warming up despite feeling sorry a moment earlier. He covered his mouth, feeling happiness flood him. "Really? I'm not annoying you at all?"

"You are," Jisung corrected, sounding a bit flustered, "But you're also you, and if being Minho means confusing the heck out of me, then I guess I am down for that too."

Minho melted.

"You keep accepting me too, my faults. I'm a bit messed up, but no matter what you're still on my side, aren't you?"

Minho stammered.

"-I'm glad I have you."

His happiness shattered, eyes glancing at the papers littering the table which picked apart every possible way for Jisung to commit the murders. After all that, he still couldn't be Jisung's. He wasn't on his side in his mind, at least.

The heart was… a different story.

"I want to be on your side, but I don't think you should be relying on me," Minho said, arranging the papers into a pile and setting them aside.

"Even if you say so, I'm still going to," Jisung informed, unphased by his words.

"Alright. Don't go pointing at me when you get heartbroken again though, I'm telling you ahead."

"I'll take it."

Minho sighed.

"Either way, would you like to go clubbing sometime? Not just us, as a group, if you don't want to date- I think it's about time we let our friends meet anyway," Jisung suggested, averting the topic.

"Yeah? Sure," Minho replied, distracted. "Would you be bringing Seungmin then?"

Jisung snorted, sounding as if the idea itself was ridiculous. "He hates things like that, I'd rather bring Changbin."

"Changbin?" Minho hummed, interested.

"Wait, I don't think you two met- he helped me with writing the song for you, back then."

Minho paused.

"That’s kind of cute, Sungie, have you told your friends about me? I'm honored."

Jisung flustered, muttering incoherent words into the phone. "Not everyone! Just him and Seungmin, don't get full of yourself," Although, those were his only real friends, Minho didn't have to know it.

"Text me the details?" Minho offered, smile evident in his voice. What a roller coaster this phone call has been.

"Sure. Gosh, I'm happy, clubbing with a cute guy~" Jisung chirped, flirting with all of the courage he's gathered.

"Yah-" Minho started, feeling himself fluster.

"I have to go back to class, talk to you-"

"Wait Hannie, hold on-"

The line cut.

Minho stared at his phone, feeling his heart race wildly in his chest. What was Jisung thinking? Was he trying to push it, or was he reshaping their dynamic into soft friendly flirting? He really couldn't tell.

He wanted either, anyway.

"Han Jisung…" He mumbled, biting his lower lip and throwing his phone on the bed before flopping down next to it, burying his face in the cold blankets. How to calm down after feeling so high?

His stomach tickled with flames, climbing into his lungs.

Although, he still didn't know where Hyunjin was.

Hm?

Minho sat up, slapping his cheeks lightly with both hands to regain his composure. He dialed Hyunjin again, faced once more with no answer.

Where was he?

Gathering his things, Minho went out to search.

.

Standing in front of Hyunjin's dorm Minho knew he wasn't in. The lights were all off, but he knocked anyway. It was supposed to be his free period, he shouldn't be out.

No response.

Trying to open the door he confirmed that it was indeed locked, not a living soul inside ready to open up,

So the search continued.

Minho ran down, visiting the closest café only to find that his friend wasn't there either. Maybe he had practice? Minho tried to calm down.

Making his way to the dance studios, Minho realized it was already noon. He searched through them all, finding only some students.

No Hyunjin.

Taking a deep breath Minho continued, walking towards the ice cream place they liked.

"Hey dude, have you seen Hyunjin?" He asked with concern, the ice cream salesman looking at him strangely. They all knew each other at least to that level.

"Not for the last few days, although…" He trailed off.

"Although what?" Minho questioned, feeling the stress really start to affect him.

"A couple days back he came running here crying."

Minho paused.

"It was sunday evening, I didn't expect it. He said he needed some encouragement, so I gave him a free scoop. He hasn't been back since"

So, right after they talked.

Had Hyunjin avoided the campus altogether? Minho was sure it was the classes with him that he skipped.

"Thank you!" He parted, running out with a new idea in mind. Was he at his parents' place, possibly?

Running back all the way to Hyunjin's dorm he took out his car he's left parked there hours ago, driving to where he knew his parents lived.

Arriving, he knew that nobody was home.

The curtains were drawn closed, the lights were all turned off, it seemed so eerie then, he didn't know how to react,

So he sat there and waited for them to come back.

Four pm.

Minho turned back to look at the gate to Hyunjin's house, wondering whether his folks both worked late. A nine to five job? He though they worked at home.

And where was Hyunjin, anyway?

Why wasn't Kkami there to greet him?

Straining his mind Minho tried to come with an answer. Hyunjin couldn’t disappear, he had to be somewhere. If he was avoiding him after talking to Jisung,

Jisung.

Minho's mind blanked, feeling slight panic rise as the idea took shape in his mind. Ever since they talked, he hadn't seen Hyunjin.

Since he's seen Jisung.

"No, no…" He mumbled, running both hands through his hair, tugging. Jisung hadn't seen Hyunjin either, he wasn't lying, he wouldn't-

It couldn't be.

What if he hurt Hyunjin?

Minho's eyes snapped open, standing up so fast his head spun for a moment before he got back to his car, driving back to Hyunjin's dorm.

He ran up the stairs, but the door was locked still.

"Hey dude, are you okay? You're looking for Hyunjin?" A guy called, drawing Minho's attention from across the hall. He nodded furiously, eyes glinting as he was ready to cry.

"You're out of luck my friend, I hadn't seen that guy in around three days," the neighbor informed, unlocking and stepping inside their own dorm.

Minho stammered.

.

He stormed inside the flower shop, unable to rationalize his anger. He was scared, helpless and out of ideas, the only word left on his lips was accusing. You.

He walked through the plant exhibition, the flowers, the feeling of something being so amiss led him on his way to find and confront. Not Hyunjin, he thought. Take them all, fuck, not his friends.

Leave them alone.

He stepped up to the counter, uneasy at waiting as if it was fine, as if the reasonable action wasn't to bypass into the storage room, haunt him down for answers. He was ready to fight, to confront his worst fear, but here he was waiting against the front desk.

Jisung walked in, gaze stuck somewhere over his shoulder. He didn't notice him at all, not until he was right next to Minho, in his reach. "Yeah, I got it!"

He turned around then, their eyes meeting all too quickly.

Minho's breath caught.

For every bad thought that was running through his mind, a butterfly was formed ready to make a mess of him. As he stared, his eyes widened and he couldn't move, could do nothing but just stare.

God, he was beautiful.

Jisung had his hair cut just a little, blond turned silver under the lights of the greenhouse. He had pink flowers woven in it randomly, seeming as if they got stuck there by mistake. His eyes sparked a deep warm brown, right eye catching in a stream of light, turning it just a shade closer to golden.

He blinked.

Jisung hadn't said a thing, too shocked to see Minho now of all times, and here of all places, looking at him like that. His heart sped up quick, and then there was a hand in his hair.

"You cut it."

"Yeah."

The two stared in silent, minds empty of anything other than Minho's hand moving slightly, tugging on silver strands. Too intimate-

And yet neither commented, both were too invested.

Minho stroked his hair, caught in a trance with his thumb slowly making its way to touch Jisung's jaw, watching as his eyes hazed.

And wait, didn't he come here for something?

What was it?

That must have been unimportant, he mused.

Hold on.

He let his hand fall.

"Jisung?"

"Yes hyung?"

The voice was so small, it almost broke Minho's fragile line of thought. He couldn't lose it a second time, he was on a mission, he-

"Minho?"

At the sound of his name he looked back up at Jisung, picking back the eye contact he cut earlier.

"Are you okay?"

Minho felt it all crashing down all of a sudden. Hyunjin, the killings, fear for his own life and all the loud noises, a gun firing.

He broke down.

"Come on, come here," Jisung rushed around the counter, pulling Minho into his arms to comfort him. The older started sobbing, staining Jisung's work clothes.

Jisung hushed him, hands stroking his hair. "I'm here baby."

He shivered lightly.

In truth, Minho passed his limit months ago, the moment he signed that stupid contract at the station. He was never okay, only like this in his love's arms, and that was just too bad for him, truly. Losing cases one by one, shards of his sanity gone and now his friend, where was Hyunjin? He was too important to lose too.

He kept on shaking, relieved to be in Jisung's embrace after so long. He couldn't confront him, wouldn't dare say what he thought, because Jisung was important too, he was his home. Even at this moment, he was there for him.

Singing to him,

Rocking him lightly.

Gosh, he knew he belonged there,

They belonged together.

"I-" He choked out, knowing that even if it was irrational, even if it could get him killed, he had to say it right then or forever hold his peace. If he didn't ask, he would have to accept that his friend was dead, that's it, and there's no helping it.

"Hyunjin is missing," He finally let out, voice hoarse and expecting the worst of all in response.

"Hyunjin? Isn't he out on a mountain hike with his family?"

Hold on.

"What..?" Minho mumbled, tears starting to clear up. That was nothing like he expected, he thought that Jisung killed him, he thought-

"Yeah! He told me, he was so worried about his dog having a hard time, he said he would be out of cell reception too. Didn't he tell you? That's so mean, look how worried he got you, I'll kick his ass!"

"Don't-" Minho cut him off, feeling relief wash over him. Was that really it? Was he just out of reception?

"He can't just go around ghosting his friends! He made you cry, look" Jisung continued ranting anyway, hug tightening around him. His lips brushed his cheeks, kissing tear tracks away.

Wait.

"Did he speak with you? He told you? That he…"

"That he was going hiking, yeah."

Minho's mind raced, thinking about Hyunjin's last words to him. He was going to confess his feelings to Jisung, Minho couldn't stop him, he didn't believe Jisung was a killer,

Apparently he didn't.

"Thank you.." Minho mumbled softly, feeling himself melt farther into Jisung. His smell was addictive and his hugs were warm, making him feel things he knew all too well.

Love,

Relief.

"Anytime for you hyung."

.

"What? Of course he was hiking with his family, he only mentioned it a thousand times! Where did you think he was?" Felix asked, astonishment clear in his tone of voice.

"I don't know," Minho defended. "I thought he was missing."

"Missing?!" Felix called out, disbelieving. "You're so freaking dense, hyung, what do I do with you? Don't you think if Hyunjin went missing, I would have called you?"

Minho grunted, pouting.

"You've been spending too long in that station, you have to snap out of that mindset already," Felix reprimanded, and Minho could only half heartedly agree. Why would he assume Hyunjin was missing all of a sudden? It was just another mistake of his to pile atop the others.

"I'm sorry."

.

Back at the station, Minho sat down and stared at the ceiling to the dim sounds of Jeongin fixing drinks up in the kitchen. He blinked wishing for at least some relief, a way to clear out his brain from all thoughts.

Some peace.

Right when his mind hit a dangerous path thinking of death the noise has cleared out, and when he looked up Jeongin was right there, offering him a cup of hot chocolate- with marshmallows.

He sighed.

"Thank you," He mumbled, accepting the drink and taking slow sips, fishing out the marshmallow bits first and feeling oddly comforted, which shouldn't have surprised him to the extent it did.

"Get better soon, hyung."

The two of them made eye contact, and for only a short moment Minho could see it, the reason why Chan was having a hard time. Jeongin was kind, and adorable too, when he smiled he was pretty and when he scowled it had charm.

Alas, he wasn't in love with Jeongin.

Minho released another sigh, closing his eyes and focusing on the warmth seeping through the mug.

"Hey, Jeongin?"

The younger hummed, surprised to be addressed.

"Why do you like Chan?"

The question came out of the blue, causing him to freeze for a bit before he could gather himself enough to respond. Honestly, he thought, Minho was a bit stupid to not just get it, there was way too much.

"I don't have one reason, I just feel like that. You know how he is, he's amazing- I should ask you why you don't"

Fair enough.

"Would you like to go for some drinks with my friends?"

Again, a question straight out of the blue. Jeongin wondered if his hyung was still sane.

"I guess, sure," He responded, eyes sharp and searching Minho for answers over his weird behavior, ones he didn't have himself.

"Good," Minho decided, "That's good. You can join us, I think I could use your support there."

"Support over… what?"

Well, support over Jisung.

Who will also be there.

"Just, in general. I hadn't been feeling so good, you know. I'd love to spend time with you, You can meet some friends too," Minho excused, using the fact he knew the kid was a little lonely these days.

"Sounds good," Jeongin agreed.

The sound of footsteps alerted them, Minho focusing his gaze on Young K entering the room, shortly followed by Chan.

"Oh! Minho, are you feeling better?" Young K asked, Chan looking at him with curious eyes as well.

"Not really?" Minho responded, truthful as he can get. He texted Jae yesterday to say he won't be turning in, and they all assumed he's sick going by their reaction.

"I'm okay physically, yesterday was a bit of an emergency with friends," He elaborated, hoping to calm them down at least a little. It wasn't wrong exactly, he did think Hyunjin was missing, the fact that he wasn't was just telling of how stressed Minho have been lately, and how easy to lose his composure.

Chan pulled his shoulders, mouth in a tight line. Minho knew they hadn't made up yet officially, although he suspected Chan just forgave him anyway after he calmed himself down.

"Is it okay now then?" Young k questioned farther, just making sure. He always was the one Minho got along with better, although most his time learning and working was spent under Jae's guidance, so usually he was the one he relied on.

In general, Minho wasn't okay. His ten minute cuddle with Jisung was lovely while it lasted, and although confessing his secrets to Felix Hyunjin Jae and Ryujin made all his burdens lift just a little at a time, he was still left with nightmares and a sense of incoming doom and helplessness.

It seemed to work well, being honest about it.

"I actually… lately, I feel like I'm failing too many cases. I thought I was ready, but I keep taking too long and finding nothing but corpses. I don't know what to do, it's weighting on me-" Minho started, gazing at the older with a hopeful expression. What could Young k do, anyway? At least he could tell him it gets better, maybe.

"Ah. I told Jae he was taking it too fast! are you working on a case right now?" Young k responded immediately, and Minho was hit with a sense of relief stronger than he ever expected. He obviously knew what he meant when he said it, and it even seemed like it was obvious.

"I'm not working on anything right now, he put me on break after Jess until my gun license arrives, not that I want one." Minho replied, wondering if he could help with that, too.

"That’s a good idea. Let's put you off solo investigations for a while after that, I've been wanting to let you train for longer anyway but after Min-ra, well, Jae said he's got it handled."

It seemed like a gun was a must then, okay.

"What kind of training would you have me do?" Minho questioned, curious despite his slight disappointment.

"I was going to make you do crew work for a while. Hang with the forensics and cleanup, see what they can and cannot do for you."

Now that sounded… awfully necessary, despite meaning he wouldn't get his hands on any file for a long time.

"I know you want to help people," Young k consoled him, noticing the scowl that spread across the younger's face, "And that taking a break for training rather than solving cases around the clock seems like a waste of time, but, if you want to grow into a fully fledged investigator like Jae and I, there's more to the process than questioning people. This will help you solve them faster afterwards, too."

Minho nodded, allowing the words to register with him. "I'm okay with that. Should I talk to Jae myself then? I should, right? He'll be offended if he knew I came to you first," He wondered, trying to accept the new conditions set for him.

"No, it's fine- I'll talk with Jae. He can be a bit stingy; you don't have to handle him," Young k replied, leaning in to set a comforting hand on Minho's head. "You know I am always here to help you out."

It was good to know.

Jeongin smiled, feeling relieved at seeing his hyung's expression- for once anything other than tired, sad or frustrated. Before Minho reached the station things have been easy- he never had to worry for his other hyungs, but for Minho… things seemed to be taking a heavy mental toll.

It radiated.

He turned his gaze to Chan, finding him relieved as well at the development. Their eyes met then, Jeongin sparking with a hint of mischief the other didn't like at all. Or, so he said.

Young k took his chair near the table, starting to sort out papers without bothering to give Minho new work to do, despite never dismissing him to go home either. He made himself busy, pulling out schoolwork and getting a head start on it instead. With all that have been going on, Minho was worried for end term exams- they were nearing in on him, he wasn't prepared.

Around ten minutes into the word file he raised his eyes once more, zoning in on the two sitting to his right, avoiding each other's eyes despite desperately searching for any other kind of physical contact. Shoulders brushing, fingers briefing over each other- it seemed obvious the two were pinning.

Fuck that.

He stared harshly at Jeongin, making sure to catch his gaze before making the most annoyed expression he could master, rolling his eyes at the end for punctuation. The younger responded, mouthing that he knows, and shut up.

"Hey Chan?" Jeongin spoke up, startling the other. "Yeah?" he responded, and Minho could barely hold back from gagging at them, because they forgot honorifics were due. Both of them.

"Are you french?"

Chan stared for a moment, almost taking offense. "No? ah-"

"Because Eiffel for you."

The tension was so thick, Minho felt like crying. Chan seemed struck by lightning, panicking for a while before he came with a response. "We're going places today… I'm, actually, from australia," He attempted, and perhaps he was thinking smoothing over it would work, but unfortunately Jeongin had perfected his attack.

"Really? Okay, this is perfect, go again!"

"Again?" Chan choked slightly, eyes both flustered and frightened.

"Are you Australian?" The younger asked, tone almost devilish if it wasn't so sweet.

"I am," Chan replied, swallowing thickly through his embarrassment.

"Then no wonder you meet all my koalafications!!" Jeongin peeped out, chest vibrating in a laugh when he noticed Chan's cheeks nearly steaming at the punchline.

"Stop hitting on me!" He called out, hitting Jeongin's shoulder lightly and earning the most boyish and smitten laugh Minho's ever heard.

Jeongin froze for a moment as a thought hit, quickly reaching to search through his bag before pausing. "Want to see something beautiful?" He asked, almost breathless. Chan hesitated.

Minho could see where this train wreck was going. He closed his eyes tight, slapping his forehead hard.

"No..? I don't trust you, what is it this time?"

Jeongin smiled what must have been the brightest, cutest smile he had in store before reaching in his bag, and Minho could swear he saw Chan's soul escaping when he pulled out his phone and showed Chan the screen of it.

"Is it. Is it me." He mumbled, covering his face out of sheer embarrassment.

"It was open on front camera, wasn't it?" Minho deadpanned, focusing back on his task, unamused.

"I think that's kind of cute," Young k added, eyes never lifting from the screen of his computer.

"Shut up, all of you, I can't deal with you-" Chan muttered, ears burning bright red. For only a moment Minho felt some sympathy. As quickly as it came it disappeared, and then he had no patience for him again.

"You two should date," He commented dryly.

Jeongin bit on his cheek, staring at Chan who hadn't responded to the remark in the slightest. Okay then, it was never that easy to begin with.

He pried his hands off his face, holding one out to intertwine their fingers.

Chan took a deep breath but hadn't pulled it away.

Minho smiled lightly, still cringing on the inside from how dumb they both have been acting. It shouldn't be that hard, just ask him out already- stop thinking about what could go wrong later, be more optimistic.

Seize the moment, as Young K would say it.

Those dumbass disaster gays.

All of a sudden Minho felt so much affection, as if it was filling him out to the brim. He set his laptop aside, switching to sit next to Jeongin before pulling him in for a surprise hug. The younger groaned in surprise, Chan's eyes widening before he too was pulled into the hug.

"You two, thank you." Minho mumbled, ignoring the confused grunts the others were making. They were so annoying, he liked them so much- if they were okay then he'd be okay too.

Jisung or no Jisung.

.

"Hyung are you okay? I heard from Felix, did you worry a lot?"

Minho felt the tension leave him at the sound of Hyunjin's voice on the other end. He held back some tears, glad to hear from his friend. "I'm okay, it's just that we fought and then you were going to see him, I though something happened to you, I was…"

Hyunjin held his breath, sounding sorry when he answered. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that. I never want to fight you, you know I care a lot about what you think. I was going to talk to him, but I kept thinking about what you said so I backed out, kind of chickened out even."

Minho felt so relieved.

"Don't ever do that you dumbass! You could get hurt, what would I do then? I need you," he started again, sounding clingy to his own ears.

"Don't worry about it. Hyung, you're always my priority- whatever you say I do, okay? I trust you a hundred percent."

Minho's heart clenched.

"Then what was all of that, about being a liar? You know I would never lie to you, you're important to me," He lectured, hoping to knock some sense into his friend.

"I know, it was just too much to believe. Is he really like that? Are you going to put him in jail? That's so scary, hyung, I can't believe you never said anything!"

Minho quieted down, driving Hyunjin to continue.

"Are we never going to meet him again?"

The question was appropriate. Now that Hyunjin was willing to cut contact with Jisung, there was no excuse for Minho to meet him anymore. He could end it right there, say yes Hyunjin, that's a good idea Hyunjin, let's stop being friends with the serial killer Hyunjin, but maybe Minho should have worried more for himself than he did for his friend, because at the thought of breaking contract his heart felt like breaking into a hundred thousand pieces.

"Hyung?"

Minho took a sharp breath, feeling himself tear from the inside out. How was he supposed to make that call now? To drop contract with Jisung was like cutting off his arm.

His home.

How could he do that?

What choice did he have?"

"Hyung are you okay?" Hyunjin asked, worried. "What are you thinking about?"

Minho felt himself falling.

"I can't, I can't cut contact with Jisung," He began, mind searching desperately for the right words.

"Why?"

That question. Because, he was too in love with him to think about it.

"I, uh, promised, right, we're supposed to see each other tomorrow," He ranted, finally finding the words that he needed.

"Just tell him you can't go," Hyunjin suggested, genuinely ready to help his friend avoid it.

"It's not that, I don't want him to know I'm up to him, I, let's pretend we're cool, act normal, we have to," The lie was so bad, but he hoped it would work.

"Are you sure?" Hyunjin asked, and Minho could kiss him.

"Yes!"

"Okay, it you say so. I'll pretend I don't know, just until you put him in trial. Right? How long will that be?" Hyunjin added, and Minho fell into a momentary crisis again. "Another month? Maybe? Depends on the, uh, the findings."

The dead people.

How horrible of him.

"Look, Hyunjin, I have to go," Minho started, suddenly feeling so sick to his stomach, he knew once they ended the call he would puke.

"Call me later?" Hyunjin replied, and Minho was grateful once again for having him. Understanding friends like Hyunjin were so hard to come by these days.

"Yeah, and tomorrow, we were going clubbing, I wanted to ask you to come too, and Felix."

"No problem."

He hung up.

God, what a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyy! Hyunjin is okay! this is what you wanted right? things are going perfectly well!!  
> Oh! by the way, I wanted to ask, would you like a changlix chapter? writing those scenes in means we'll be another chapter away from some serious Minsung development, do you still want it? are you guys even into changlix?  
> Please tell me  
> Also I decided to read as many of you guys' fics as I can (The ones with ships I like), mostly because I'm curious, but also because some of you write Jeongchan and I'm starving,, so if you leave a comment or even kudos I'll probably get to you sooner or later :D don't panic I'm not personally stalking you ><  
> Have a good week!!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doing it in da club woo :0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! how are you? today's chapter is lovely and cute but also carries a lot of foreshadow and easter eggs in it. Watch out for some cool and strange details!!  
> I decided not to expand on changlix because honestly they're irrelevant, but they're still a ship in this fic! so yeah. Changlix cameo.

Introducing his friends to Jeongin went smoother than expected. While Felix adopted him right away, Hyunjin seemed to hit immediate flirt mode, which led the younger boy to say he was taken.

Minho choked on his laughter.

"No you aren't," He exposed, glancing at him through the rereview mirror. "Well emotionally I am," He insisted, looking stern.

"Minho if you brought me here thinking I was the hookup type-" He ranted, causing the other three to chuckle softly, all equally endeared.

"No that's fine, me too," Hyunjin admitted in a soft voice.

"You too?" He asked, and the car fell to silence.

Minho hummed lowly, wondering how to fix it.

"Actually, Innie, we're going to meet up with Jisung from the flower shop! Hyunjin used to have a crush on him, but he decided it was a bad idea. Right?"

Hyunjin nodded.

"Oh, why?"

Another silence.

"Because I'm allergic to flowers," Hyunjin answered, and wow, A+ bullshit. Minho almost burst into laughter right then.

"Okay?"

Although he might as well have asked farther on the topic, he had no time to- the four have reached their destination already, Minho parking outside of the club.

The four of them have dressed well, Minho specifically had the passing thought that his time together with Jisung might be limited, which drove him to perfect his makeup and outfit to the best of his ability. Despite driving a car he was covered in leather, and he spent way too long just fixing his hair.

Next best looking was, shocking or not, Jeongin. He looked so outstanding, Minho wanted to clap. For meeting new friends, he sure put his best effort- and that in itself had a lot of charm, adorable.

They were both going to turn so many heads tonight for sure.

The place was more of a bar than a club, with a dancefloor so large it took most of the space. Unsurprisingly, it was crowded. Not too crowded since both Jisung and Minho didn't like it, but still full and loud enough to lose friends you've come there with. fully aware of that fact, Minho hesitantly texted Jisung for their location.

"We're in the outer corner booth, Come and find us! We've been waiting for you to order drinks."

Minho stared, slightly tense. Jisung saw him drunk before, and the memory of the way things unfolded back then was so embarrassing, so dangerous, that he knew he couldn't let it repeat.

Spotting Jisung and Changbin, Hyunjin waved from over Minho's shoulder to signal that they've seen them too- and if Jisung froze just looking at him, then Minho could cut him some slack tonight too.

"That's Jisung's friend? What's his name?" Felix asked, strangely interested for someone who would usually put his mind to the music and atmosphere rather than meeting new people. As the two stepped closer, it dawned on Minho that he was indeed his friend's type somewhat.

"Hey guys! This is Changbin" Jisung introduced as the four sat down, Jeongin next to Jisung on one side with Changbin next to the wall, while the remaining three slid into the other side of the booth, Felix near the wall followed by Hyunjin and then Minho. Changbin licked his lips, gathering himself up before making an introduction of his own.

"Seo Changbin, nice to meet you. I don't know you guys yet, how old are you?" He asked, Minho immediately deciding that he liked the guy.

Felix hesitated for a moment, losing his chance to introduce them all to Jisung. "This is Minho, Hyunjin, Felix and Jeongin!"

"Minho is our Hyung, He was born in 98'. We were both born in 00, and then Innie is a year younger'" Hyunjin added, smiling his best at Changbin like the total heartthrob he is. Glancing at his friend, Felix wiggled a little with a small scrunch of his nose.

"I see, so I'm not the oldest one here. I was born in 99'" Changbin replied, looking to Jisung.

"And I was born in 00' as well! You know that though, I just never asked- when are your birthdays? I only know Minho's" Jisung realized, finding the fact infuriating.

"Mine is on September fifteen." Felix beat Hyunjin to it, looking at Changbin with a little shy smile.

"Really?! No way!" Jisung countered, startling the other boys. "That's one day after mine!"

Minho bit his lip, having known that already. Felix took just a moment to spare him a glance over Hyunjin's shoulders, challenging him to comment what he already knew- wasn't that Minho's favorite day of the year?

How cheesy.

The two picked up an excited chatter while the others shared their birthdays, Jeongin staring at them from the end of the table. Minho glanced at him once, figuring he would fit in eventually at his own pace.

"You two are like twins, Jae hyung's birthday is also on the fifteenth."

Felix turned to the younger, looking at him with excitement. "Jae hyung? Is he your friend?"

Minho let out a short huff of laughter at that. "No, he's our boss. He was born 92'"

Felix pouted for a moment, looking back for Changbin's reaction, and Minho decided that he liked the sight of them.

He let his eyes shift to Jisung, finding that the younger was already staring at him. Honestly, if it wasn't for the topic they just brought up, that alone could make him so flustered- his eyes were so pretty, looking with so much warmth that he couldn't help but feel bad for mocking Jeongin's falling for Chan's stares, back when it all just started to unravel.

He felt boneless.

"How are things going in the internship? I don't think I asked you before," Jisung picked up, sending cold shivers to run down his spine.

"How are your paintings coming along?" Hyunjin challenged from where he was seated, watching. Minho's eyes widened, sending him a glare.

"I couldn't find anything I wanted to draw for a while, actually. I ended up choosing Goya for that project I talked to you about, but his work was always so scary, I couldn't take any inspiration from it. I wanted to hear about you though, is it interesting?"

Minho shrugged.

"I was put back in training yesterday, actually."

The news were really only shocking to Hyunjin and Jisung, since Jeongin already knew and neither Changbin nor Felix paid attention. "I thought you were working on cases."

It was scary, seeing Jisung show interest in his work. Despite knowing it was more of an interest in him than in police investigations, Minho felt his suspicion rise, and this time he had Hyunjin backing him up.

"I wasn't that good, I couldn't solve any," He confessed through his teeth, feeling a pang of shame at the truth of it. At least, it was good to keep Jisung off guard that way, he thought. One good thing, one good thing to take from his failure.

Jisung wore an unreadable expression.

His nose twitched lightly, setting his elbow on the table so his hand could reach for Minho's, grasping it tight before speaking his mind. "You know that you're good, but with training you'll be better. This is for now, but I believe in you, you know."

Minho's eyes softened, but, Hyunjin was looking.

There were a million reasons why he couldn't kiss him now, even if he stared at his lips with all his might.

So he didn't.

"Minho really is good, he's just given all these hard cases, you should see him when he's in his zone," Jeongin commented, revealing the fact he was listening in as well. At that point, only Felix and Changbin were still distracted by each other.

Minho stilled.

"It feels like he's dancing."

Now, take into account that Minho never heard praise that high from Jeongin before, he had every right to turn and look at him, unable to decide between getting embarrassed and giving him a hug. He settled on the latter, pulling the younger to him over the table to ruffle his hair.

"You're my favorite coworker."

"What, between me and Chan?"

Minho's eyes glinted, laughter showing so clear in them, it knocked more than one boy's breath away at the table.

"Minho, sit down, you're attracting company-" Jeongin warned, eyes zoning in on a group of girls who were making their way over. "What?"

"Being handsome in public must be so hard," Felix commented from his spot, finally paying attention. "Watch, they're going to hit on you two, Minho, Hyunjin."

"Why do you think?"

"They've been staring at Minho," Jeongin agreed.

The girls did stop when they reached their table, hesitating. There were only three that actually made the whole way, while most of the group stayed behind to cheer on them. "Hey, um," tried the youngest looking one, standing to the right. "You guys are kinda cute, would you like to dance with us?"

The offer in itself was innocent, despite it being obvious the girls were out for more. Dancing sounded lovely, so Minho was conflicted.

"Who are you asking, even?"

Minho glanced at Jeongin, making a neutral expression. Were any of them bi at all? Minho knew they were all into men.

One girl turned red.

"You?"

Minho blinked slowly, unsure why he was so shocked a girl would ask Jeongin specifically to dance with her. The other two haven't given their answers, but at least this one had some courage, he liked it.

"Ah, sorry, I'm taken."

Minho blinked, suddenly having to hold back violent laughter at his answer. He was so whipped, it was so fucking funny.

The table fell to silence, only Minho's shoulders shaking slightly at his effort. "What about you girls?" Hyunjin asked, almost expecting. Minho guessed that one of them was there for his friend, but he didn't expect the girl to ask Jisung.

"No, sorry, I'm taken too."

Minho's smile dropped.

The next question was for him, and he had to say he's gay, because he couldn't have pulled the type of clownery they did.

Jisung was messing with him, that’s for sure.

Hyunjin pouted slightly as the girls left, making Minho curious about his friend. "Are you even into girls?" "No, I'm not, but it's nice to hear when they like me. I can't believe none of them asked me to dance, did I overdo the gay aesthetic tonight? I always put effort, but anyway, wait-"

He then slammed both hands on the table.

"Jisung! you didn't tell me that you got a boyfriend!"

At this point everyone but Hyunjin were almost pissing themselves laughing, watching Jisung explain between giggles that he wasn't willing to come out to some strangers. Minho called bullshit on that in his head, since he knew how Jisung was out to his whole grade, school, church even. It turned even clearer when he winked at him.

Freaking winked.

"Let's order some shots, then we can go and dance," Minho offered, Hyunjin standing up with excitement at the idea and wiggling his way out of the booth to head for the bar. Minho realized that he dug his own grave here, since most of his friends were insufferable when drunk, and Hyunjin specifically liked drinking games.

Minho wasn't supposed to be drinking around Jisung.

It wasn't that he was like Felix who didn't like alcohol, although he liked parties and agreed to drink at times. To Minho, drinking felt like loss of control, one that he welcomed sometimes, and sometimes not. They still had Jeongin with them, Jisung too, and Minho was the one who drove his friends there. They could always take a cab back, but still.

Soon enough Hyunjin was back, carefully setting a plate of twenty five shots down on the table before sitting down, urging Minho to scoot over next to Felix to make space. Counting them all in, it meant they had around four shots assigned each. "Are you insane?"

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow, challenging Minho. "Too much?"

"Yes!" Minho confirmed.

"Well, sorry, it's my money. Who's down for never have I ever?"

They all set their ground rules, which weren't a lot. This game meant they all said one thing they hadn't done in turns, and whoever did do it had strikes taken off. Five strikes made a shot, and if someone failed to take strikes off anybody, they had to take a shot to compensate.

Minho grimaced.

Liars took a shot, too.

They got some normal drinks as well to sip on while they played, buying a large bottle of soda to hold them through the night.

"I never kissed anyone," Jeongin started, watching with wide eyes as only Jisung stayed unbaffled. "You've all had yours? Really?" He questioned, self-conscious.

"I mean," Minho started, faced with Jisung's upset expression. "It wasn't anyone I liked,"

To his right Felix choked on his soda, coughing.

"Do you know who it was?" Hyunjin asked him, already aware he won't learn it from Minho.

"Pay me to find out," Felix challenged, earning a glare. Jisung slid him ten bucks, and Felix paled lightly.

"I take it back, I forgot this table is full of wolves, you're going to kill me."

"Are you going to say it was you?"

"No?"

Minho slid him a shot.

Their friends roared, Minho's expression remorseless as they attacked Felix with questions. It really wasn't that deep, he just got really drunk and smooched Felix on impulse. It was only because Felix helped him get home, and he had the idea it was only polite. He then turned around and walked into a door.

Neither of them mentioned it after that.

No, Minho didn't like drinking at all.

"Okay, really though, I'm not drinking this," Felix announced, sliding the shot back to Minho who nodded, satisfied with only teasing his friend.

"It's not that it's gross, we've pretended to be a couple before for good deals, it's just that we're pretty platonic, we're better off as friends" Minho explained, avoiding Jisung's eyes at all costs. It hadn't slipped his mind that Jisung had never.

Hyunjin went next.

"I never lied to my parents."

Minho stared at him, dumbfounded. "Not even when-"

"They know not to ask," Hyunjin said, face serious. "When I was a kid, too."

The boys shook their heads, each of them recalling at least a single moment where they did exactly that. "Amazing."

Next was Minho, thinking hard. "Okay, well, I never… oh, okay, this is hard."

He took another moment.

"I never got a hug from my dad."

The table fell into silence. "Minho, these are supposed to be funny."

"Hyunjin's wasn't funny," He countered, defensive. "His was surprising, but yours is just sad," Felix accused, Jisung hesitating for a moment before Jeongin stood up, moving around the table to fit himself between Minho and Hyunjin, hugging the older tightly.

Minho cooed, missing out on the sight of Jisung's huge pout.

"Okay, can I say one? This goes counter clockwise?" Felix questioned, the others rushing to agree.

"I never fell in love with my best friend."

Minho raised an eyebrow, thinking that that was such a specific question, and yet nobody seemed to take a strike. Where was Felix aiming?

Felix frowned, shooting Hyunjin a look over the table.

"No. You said best friend, you can't look at me." Hyunjin spouted back, earning a roll of his eyes. "It doesn't matter,"

"It does." Minho and Jisung both said simultaneously.

"Okay, well, fine. What do I do? Take a shot?"

"Sure."

Felix did.

Changbin hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say for his turn. He looked right at Felix, then down at his hand.

Three strikes.

"I never got a cute boy's number."

Felix played with his nails, turning red at the question. "Wanna change that?" Hyunjin interfered, earning a well deserved smack from both Minho and Jisung.

"No I wasn't, I mean, it's just that, you guys got hit on so I assumed you had experience- I wasn't hinting at anything-" Changbin backtracked, Felix pouting miserably. Don't sabotage it, asshole, read the mood around the table.

Jisung looked at Changbin for a moment, suddenly realizing it was his turn to go. "I never tried extreme sports."

Minho sighed.

Four strikes.

"Did you hit five, hyung?" Felix asked from his end, Minho shaking his head. "Wait, you did extreme sports? When?"

"I don't like my fears to get the best of me," the older shrugged. "I'm scared of heights, but I feel like that's why I should do it. I went bungee diving with R-"

He paused.

"I went with my friend to try bungee last year," he corrected, reminded of his decision to protect her.

Jisung stared at him, as if it was anything out of the ordinary.

"I never got a failing grade," Jeongin raised, and then Minho, Felix and Changbin all had to take a shot.

They played for a few rounds longer, Jeongin staying surprisingly sober throughout the game. He had to take his first shot around the end of the third round, and it was clear to everyone he wasn't heavily affected, although a bit calmer. He did ask to be left out of the rest of it, since the taste was too bitter for him to continue.

Minho on his end said stop when he hit his second shot, electing to drop out of the game and spectate instead. Jisung did too, after taking his third.

When Changbin hit stop, they quit the game altogether.

"I can't believe we still have six shots left. You guys are such prunes, what do I do with these now?" Hyunjin complained, slightly slurred after four shots. "Drink them yourself."

He pouted, making an attempt at puppy eyes towards every member of the group. When nobody budged, he just sighed in defeat.

"Squares."

Minho rolled his eyes, picking up conversation with Jisung and Jeongin since Changbin and Felix seemed to be invested in each other. His nerves picked slightly when he heard Hyunjin third-wheel them.

A dim kick was heard.

"Ah! Ouch, why would you kick me?-" Hyunjin complained, Felix rubbing his face with both hands before turning to glare, putting on a forced smile. "I don't know what you're talking about. Go bother Minho."

Minho deadpanned.

The two picked on their conversation, Jeongin stepping up to keep Hyunjin distracted to provide the two with some peace of mind. It's not that Hyunjin was annoying, but some times he really was.

Jisung giggled.

Minho stared, captivated once again by the angel in front of him. Jisung was gorgeous, his smiles were so lovely.

His laugh-

"What are you thinking about?" Jisung questioned, eyes looking at him so fondly, Minho almost caved. "The same as you, I'm pretty sure. Those guys are hilarious," He replied, a small white lie.

"That's not what I am thinking at all," Jisung challenged.

"Oh?"

"Can you guess it?"

Minho hummed, feeling a deep sense of calm wash over him despite getting so flustered. "Probably something cheesy, your eyes tell."

"I was thinking of asking you out for a dance."

Minho smiled.

.

Jisung pulled Minho in, fingers slotting themselves between his in order to drag him deeper into the dancefloor. This was all messed up; Minho was the dancer, he shouldn't be getting so flustered by an art major.

Before he could farther muse on it, Jisung turned to face him with a smile- one that outshone every other light in the club in Minho's eyes. He stopped pulling on their hands, stepping closer, and Minho realized that they've already reached the middle while he wasn't paying attention.

"Come on!" Jisung yelled over the music, and Minho had to collect himself all over again to keep from staring at him too intensely. The boy was gorgeous, all golden shimmer covered skin with glitter eye shadow and pink lips- he looked like some kind of supernatural being under the dim lights that only served as aid in fading all that was around them, everything but the boy in question.

Jisung squeezed his hand, raising it and prodding at Minho who swayed a little, naturally falling into the beat as soon as he made an attempt. Right as he did, the song changed- what might have been Woosung's song 'Face' came on. He wasn't bad at improv, he could beat most of these people in a dance-off, he believed; yet with Jisung in front of him, he almost tripped on his own two feet.

Jisung hummed, moving more to help Minho and get them both going. Despite the stumbling, it wasn't awkward- not when Jisung smiled, not when Minho looked at him like that. In Jisung's eyes, Minho was divine too; eyes so dark kept shining and sparkling when the light hit, soft dark hair kept dangling gently, threatening to cover them as he swayed with him. Best of all was his smile, the shy, unsure one, that only appeared for a moment at a time before vanishing and leaving his ears a little redder.

Jisung knew he was a goner from the get-go.

They mouthed out the lyrics, playfully yelling and nudging each other as the song went on. "I like your face!" It was so loud and clear, they both liked each other so much that it hurt them.

If only they both could take that one final step.

The song played on, Jisung getting bolder too. If he could get him to blush more, maybe he'll smile; maybe for real, and maybe he'll kiss him. Target set in mind, Jisung forgot they were in public, threw caution into the wind and released Minho's hand.

Minho stared, curious and a little disappointed for a moment as Jisung turned around, his expression changing to fluster when the other leaned his back on him, taking his hands and guiding them to cross over his waist. He gasped out a short breath, smelling his shampoo.

Jisung shivered under his touch, gathering courage to grind down a little. He looked back at Minho, catching his eyes which glinted with a strong sense of trust unlike they used to, making sure he was right there with him at the moment, under the tension and paying attention.

It felt electric, both finding fire and sparks in each other's gaze; high voltage- it was dangerous, they danced with about 60% of their self control left and still on the decline.

His hands on his hips never felt so in place, they just felt so right holding him, touching him. He could have died happy just then, no regrets.

Jisung's eyes hooded and started with each move, and Minho was sure he looked the same type of mess. He wasn't expecting it when the other turned back around, keeping them close with eyes now clouded for good and turning darker still.

It did feel natural for Jisung to move up his leg, thigh applying pressure to Minho's crotch while his hands trailed his chest covered by the dress shirt.

Minho made a low sound, driving Jisung to apply more pressure before he moved some hair behind his ear, hand finding a new place around Minho's neck. His breath quickened, obviously as turned on as Minho was at the moment.

"Jisungie," Minho breathed, voice hoarse. Jisung Hummed, leaning in so their noses brushed, leg shifting against Minho as he did.

Minho exhaled shakily, warm breath tickling Jisung's mouth.

So close, he could almost taste him on his lips.

One moment, and it could be over and done with.

He wanted to kiss him, fuck everything else.

But…

"I gotta go to the bathroom."

Jisung blinked, confused as Minho took a couple steps back, making a run for the Club's restroom. Had he messed up? was that too direct of an approach? It probably was. Did he imagine the tension right then? Jisung huffed quick, hoping to hold back panicked tears. This is not how he thought that would go.

Meanwhile on his end, Minho was leaning on a sink, trying to calm down his heart and erase his mad blush.

He couldn't convince himself to be relieved.

Wet sounds sounded from one of the stalls, different from the usual sound of piss in a way that raised a full body cringe in Minho. What did it take to get a moment of peace around here? The old man in him came close to yelling 'Hooligans!'

But that would be even more awkward, probably.

So he walked out instead, trying to keep his calm.

He passed by the bar, grabbing himself a drink despite playing the destined driver role, not giving a fuck that they'll have to get cabs now. Not even the money could keep him from drinking if only to wipe the bitter taste away.

He almost had it all.

Making his way back to his friends he sat down, Changbin sending him a pointed look that said a lot- first of all, where is Jisung? Secondly, save me dude- which wasn't a wonder since Hyunjin seemed to be leaning all his weight on his side, killing the mood.

Minho sighed deeply, flopping down in the booth next to Hyunjin. The latter was sniffling softly, burying his nose into Minho's shoulder immediately.

"Are all three of you this drunk, did you finish the extra shots? And where's Jeongin?" He questioned, rightfully upset himself. Hyunjin seemed to be the level of drunk he couldn't reach easily without a drive, as if he was tired of being sober.

"Minhooo…" He dragged out, arm sneaking around his waist, and it only confirmed just how high he had been, since normally Hyunjin was scared to touch Minho.

He even forgot his hyung title, this time.

"Hyunjin is drunk," Felix commented, scaring Minho who thought the other was asleep by how peacefully he was sitting, eyes closed with his head resting against the wall. "And you?"

Felix hummed, voice turning out way deeper than intended. "The two of us fought, so he's sad about that."

Minho sighed.

Changbin mimicked his sigh, attempting to answer the questions Minho asked. "Jeongin-ah left to get water over half an hour ago and hadn't returned. I tried to look for him but this one is a clingy drunk, and searching around the club with him is almost impossible."

Felix nodded.

"We fought about that."

Minho cursed his luck, knowing he had to find Jeongin in spite of his drunk friend clinging to him like a koala. He shook him slightly, surprised to see Hyunjin smile in his sleep, and wait- was he sleeping? Apparently not.

Hyunjin made a sound, brushing his lips against Minho's neck.

"Okay, well, I guess I'm taking him. We'll look for Jeongin, you guys find Jisung and order a cab for us?" Minho requested, struggling to stand up with Hyunjin leaning his weight on his side.

"I love you hyung-" He mumbled adorably, and Minho almost couldn't get mad at him.

Almost.

"Stop leaning on me!" He called with annoyance.

Felix opened his eyes, staring at Changbin for a moment before turning to Minho, sending a smile like a thousand suns his way. "Thanks!"

Minho rolled his eyes, knowing Felix was taking the offer as an opening to flirt with Changbin as much as he wanted, which, it was. At least this one person deserved to be happy, even if Minho was tempted to make him babysit Hyunjin instead.

He could handle Hyunjin if they handled Jisung.

He'd do anything but.

Finding Jeongin proved to be easier than expected, since the younger was already looking for them. His hair was messed, makeup smudged quite a bit, and if it wasn't for the pointed glare he sent his way and Hyunjin's weight over his shoulder Minho would have questioned him right away, worry eating at him at him worse than his curiosity.

"Let's go home hyung," Jeongin offered voice exhausted.

"That was the plan," He responded, relieved.

And as they entered the cab he realized, he never said goodbye.

.

The phone call fell silent.

"I'm sorry, you know how I feel about this…" Minho trailed off, hoping his words will once again manage to sooth Jisung's hurt. He had been such a jerk, never giving a reason.

Jisung was reading him right, after all, it was his fault, since unlike his mind Minho's heart wanted him- an awful lot, even.

He was weak.

"I know you're like this, I signed up for it I guess. I'm hurt but you know, I can't force you to like me."

But he does.

"Keeping contact with you isn't healthy for me, I think. Mentally," Jisung added, and oh wow, that hurt really bad.

"I'm sorry."

"I need a break."

Minho's breath hitched, heart shattering into a thousand sharp shards, cutting and tearing through his lungs and stomach. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I can't play with you anymore."

"But you said-"

"I meant what I said, but I need this for me. It's better if I get over you, right? Then we can be friends."

Minho stammered.

"Let's give it another shot, we can do it, I believe in us-" He tried, Jisung taking a moment to answer.

"Last chance for me to pretend we're just friends, I can't."

They both paused.

"I don't care if you like me, I don't want to lose you."

"But what about me? Minho, it hurts."

They paused again.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, I don't mean to, I never meant to-" Minho started, feeling guilty to top it off. "Let's meet up at least one last time, please, please Jisung."

Jisung sighed.

"Alright."

The two spent the next thirty minutes setting up another meetup with friends, Minho going as far as to invite Chan to join them. He hesitated for a long while, saying he'd let him know later. Jeongin responded the same, shockingly.

Their meetup was going to take place at the fair which would be held two weeks later in a beautiful part of seoul. Jisung insisted he needed those two weeks apart at the very least, in order to look at Minho without feeling overwhelmingly sad.

One more time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right! right. This ending was a little sad, and.... how does it feel crossing 100k words with no kiss?? you've endured well. Hold on for just a while longer, okay?  
> By now three readers already caught up and solved the mystery, which means yes I have given you more than enough clues for figuring it out...  
> Any reader who will come up with a correct theory will get to ask me one question about the story, even a spoiler- I'll have to reply, or alternatively ask to see one of the remaining chapters of "Now With Both Eyes Open" (2-7) which is a jeongchan smut side series taking place in the same universe as If You Close One Eye.  
> It's definitely worth it!!


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter we've all been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get your best tissues ready folks

Minho entered the office in a storm, having read the news that particular morning. "What do you mean he's dead? Hyung, what is this?!"

Jae sat at his table, blinking slowly at Minho as if undisturbed. "Why do you ask if you already know?"

He took a moment to breathe, raising from his chair with an exhausted aura draping over him. It wasn't like they had anything they could do about it, so no matter how furious Minho was, Jae still had nothing to say about the matter.

"He's innocent! It was a lynch, wasn't the trial supposed to be today? How could he kill himself before trial?! They were going to set him free!"

To this Jae did have a reply. "Well, even if Jess's ex didn't kill her, nobody would believe it but you. He probably came to the same conclusion before hanging himself."

"But he was so close! They were going to find out who the real killer was, then he would have been fine!" Minho protested, mind running through his memories of the man he questioned not so long ago. How could he end his own life just like that? And before trial!

"I don't think the DNA samples from the dinner plate were in his favor. They were going to put him to trial, after all. Not some other person, him," Jae elaborated, watching Minho deflate.

"Unless they somehow couldn't identify the DNA samples, they were probably his. Don't get me wrong, Minho, I don't know what findings the prosecution team had, but I don't think they would do a bad job, necessarily."

Minho shrank in his place, moving his eyes to Chan who was staring at them intently from where he was seated on the chair he seemed to favor most. "Hyung…"

Chan sent him a sad smile, quickly switching to look at his phone instead. "You too?"

The older hesitated at the words, setting his phone aside before looking back at Minho, this time with purpose. "I think, since we don't know anything for sure, that we shouldn't be minding someone else's business."

Okay.

Jeongin walked out of the kitchen, looking startingly well in comparison to the other three. It was almost as if he was glowing, making a beeline to set the cup of tea he made on the coffee table next to Chan who avoided his eyes awkwardly, almost ashamed.

Minho sighed deeply, walking over to sit next to Chan before rubbing his eye, seeing flashes of a painting.

Jisung again.

The painting this time around was of Minho himself, standing right under the lights filtering through the colored glass panes of a church, and Minho immediately knew where it was.

He was smiling, and there was a glint in his eye- almost as if the gold was peeking out. He wondered if this was the moment he remembered, the one when he swore Jisung was some otherworldly being, but quickly realized that it couldn't be it- at the time he still had a black eye and hurt jaw, and yet Jisung drew him so pretty, he couldn't have really felt that way about him still.

He couldn't have.

Back to the presence, Minho regained his composure for a moment before greeting Jeongin properly this time, earning a smile. "Hello hyung, tough morning huh?"

"You've said it."

Jeongin shrugged, unable to relate as he never met the guy. All he knew of him was what the media fed them all, but he still knew better than to tell that much to Minho.

"Push forward," He said instead, firm and direct. "You have a something you want in mind, don't you? No matter what happens, even if you feel like you failed, you can't let it stop you from reaching that goal."

Minho hummed, noticing Chan had reacted too.

"Is that a warning or an encouragement?" The older asked, eyes curiously trained on Jeongin. "You can take it as both, but I don't think you'll win here no matter the pep talk," He challenged.

Chan glared.

"That could have been very touching, thank you both for making it cringy instead," Minho commented dryly, unable to find it in him to be annoyed.

"Sorry, sorry" Jeongin apologized, sounding genuinely regretful. "I'm getting a little sick of this too."

Minho raised his eyebrows, surprised at the reply he was given although it didn't necessarily mean Jeongin was giving up either. He had no idea what the younger was even talking about half the time.

Chan seemed to understand him just fine, pouting like a child in a way that shouldn't have been as adorable as it was. He stayed quiet though, most likely unable to come up with a good answer.

"I think I'll join you at the fair, by the way," Jeongin added after a thought, surprising Minho again. "Yeah? What made you change your mind?" He asked, more relieved than he was willing to admit.

"It sounds fun, so," Jeongin explained, walking away to arrange Jae's table. The older thanked him once, barely minding him at all. "I know if I don't go with you guys I won't go at all, but want to. I think I would like it, a fair."

Minho stared.

"It always depends on the company. If you don't like the guys then don't go, I'll understand-"

"It's not that," Jeongin hurriedly corrected, glancing back at Minho. "I like them a lot, I just feel like a sixth wheel. A fair sounds like a fun date idea, but all I'll be doing is trailing after Hyunjin… I wish I could go there with someone who liked me."

Minho really felt that one hit hard.

Chan averted his eyes, pretending he didn't hear it. By that point the two were so obviously using Minho to bicker, but he really did want them both to come with them.

"You know, if you ever do end up with Hyunjin, I'm giving you both my approval as a best friend of both parties," Minho stated, realizing by the way Jeongin's eyes widened that this was over the line for him too. However Minho didn't really care, since he was pretty nearly losing his patience.

"Who's Hyunjin?" Chan mumbled, still looking away. 'And he bites,' Minho thought to himself, sort of surprised Chan was one of those guys.

Jealous, much?

"My friend from dance class; tall, kind of model looking? Oh but don't worry, Jeongin is pretty good at rejecting people he's not interested in. You should have seen him turning down that girl who wanted to dance with him," Minho continued, ignoring Jeongin who was blushing furiously by now.

Looking back to Chan, Minho prided himself in how easy it was to get a raise out of the guy. Chan's head had snapped back to look at him the moment he mentioned the word "dance", as if he was hit by an invisible force.

"Okay," Chan simply said, setting his phone aside as if readying himself to stand up and walk out, fed up with Minho's teasing.

"Hold on, hyung-" Jeongin stepped forward, walking all the way to a puzzled Chan before squatting down and, oh, that was cute.

Chan's expression changed, looking a little like he was going to cry when he realized the younger had stopped to tie his laces. "What are you doing?" He asked, voice a soft tone.

"You'd trip if, your shoes were untied, um," Jeongin mumbled, ending in a double knot and standing back up, still blushing although he composed himself a bit.

"Is that really what you wanted to say?" Chan sighed, learning to read him quite well by then.

"There was a pick up line, I forgot," Jeongin admitted, standing glued to his place as he struggled to remember.

"Oh, don't fall for anyone else," He realized, laughing nervously. "I don't think I needed to say it, you know already."

Chan hummed, nodding a little in acceptance while fighting down an endeared smile.

"You two are legally obligated to date after this," Minho wanted to say, but he knew if he did it would shatter the moment, and moments like these were too precious to ruin.

.

Chan ended up joining them too at the fair.

The seven of them met up at the entrance, and Minho couldn't help but notice how cute they all looked, like a little idol group. They all dressed up to make another person notice.

It's not as if Minho didn't get it. He did put some effort into his own look, since their outing was more of a triple date with seventh wheel Hyunjin, they all had someone they were trying to impress.

He glanced once at Jeongin, the kid smiling brightly from under his newly dyed blue bangs. It was summer and so they were all in fun t-shirts, and his was specifically black with white band print which made him look like somebody's lost boyfriend.

Chan on the other hand, while completely unprepared for the attack, looked like he was sneakily going for the kill too. His hair was still blond, looking so deeply fried Minho worried it would crumble at the slightest touch- he was in a sleeveless muscle T too, wearing two of those black stud earrings he didn't put on very often.

They were cute together, what's new.

Felix looked surprisingly normal, cute and blond with his freckles out and about- Changbin half hiding under his black hat and sunglasses, and Minho had the sudden imagery of him getting physically blinded by his friend's bright personality and smiles, as if he was the sun's personification.

He huffed in amusement, thinking that Felix was really like that- he could understand where the other was coming from.

They were kind of cute, too.

Minho took a deep breath, trying to avoid looking straight at Jisung. He knew if he did, he'd have nothing short of a heart attack, which was unadvisable. Instead he looked at Hyunjin, wasting some more time before he had to face the unavoidable.

Hyunjin was trying too for some reason, although Minho knew he was always like that. His friend had his hair in a ponytail and some braids, pretty blue v neck with a little charm necklace hanging out. He was every bit the attractive threat Jeongin and Chan needed in their lives, and Minho could easily relate to Chan's nerves by his own experience rivaling him, sadly enough.

At the end of his wits, Minho tried to pay attention to his own looks in order to avoid paying attention to Jisung. He was average- the glasses might have been new, but the white tshirt was heavily used, looking a little worn out understandably. He had his good earrings on, and the cute bee bracelet he freaked out about constantly.

Fine, well, Jisung.

Jisung was stunning. Minho flushed, bringing his eyes back to the ground at the feeling of adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He panicked again, reaching out to grab Felix for emotional stability.

His perfect Jisung.

"Hi," Jisung greeted, forcing Minho to look up at him again before averting his eyes. Jisung didn't even look that different from normal, it was only that the sunshine made him glow with golden beauty Minho wasn't able to process at the moment. It didn't help knowing this was the last chance, he had to go through today without breaking down and kissing him.

He couldn't lose Jisung.

He swallowed down his nerves, realizing he was acting like a child, all shy and frozen in place. He had to face his fears, push forward like Jeongin told him.

He looked up.

Jisung was right there, big brown eyes looking right back at him. Oh no, not the eyes, Minho felt goosebumps run through him as he struggled to maintain the eye contact, face settling into a dumb stare. Jisung laughed, finding his fluster adorable especially since Minho wasn't normally like that- he used to be the one running his mouth dry, not the other way around.

Today was a good day.

Jisung hadn't put as much effort as he had at the club, he wouldn't understand what the reaction was about. His eyes only had a thin layer of eyeliner, hair half falling down and half under a beanie. He was in a tshirt too, this one white coincidently matching Minho's. He had pretty hoop earrings in, smiling a little too bright considering everything.

Wasn't he angry? Shouldn't he be putting Minho in his place for messing with his mind again?

Minho felt so shy.

He looked like his future boyfriend.

"Okay well, now that we're all here, how about we go check out the booths?" Hyunjin offered, the only one with his mind set in reality rather than cheesy daydreams of their crush.

"Sure," Jisung agreed, touching Changbin's shoulder lightly to draw his and Felix's attention, Felix doing the same to Chan before they all followed suit. Right, Minho remembered, Chan knew Felix well.

Determined not to make it feel too much like a date for neither him or Jeongin, Chan pointedly ignored Hyunjin and instead picked conversation with Jisung and Changbin, finding multiple common interests between the three of them immediately. It lasted them a while, Minho and Jeongin trailing after the three like abandoned puppies while Felix and Hyunjin bickered.

Minho poked at Jeongin sadly, the younger shooting him back a pout just as bad. "Jisung from the flower shop is stealing my crush" "Your crush is stealing my Jisung from the flower shop."

Jeongin chuckled.

Minho smiled, feeling at peace for a moment before recalling one particular detail. If Jisung killed Chelle, then Chan… well, it would be a weird friendship to witness, no doubt.

Jisung seemed to remember his past encounter with Chan, the image of him sitting down on the flower shop's floor while Jeongin threaded flowers in his hair- because after he moment he excitedly asked if he was dating him already, volume way too high for such a loaded question.

Chan blanked.

"No. No, why, no. No I'm not, we're not dating."

"Okay," Jisung chirped happily, and Minho was struck once again with endless affection.

His match, right there.

He smiled, releasing a deep sigh as if he wasn't so visibly whipped already. Jeongin turned his nose, walking a bit faster to grab the end of Chan's shirt, leaning his chin on his shoulder. Chan seemed a bit startled, adjusting to him easily.

Apparently he said something that only they could hear, judging by the way Chan broke into a smile. Heck, Minho forgot how pretty those were- and Jeongin took the full force of this one. He wondered how they weren't together by now.

Infuriating.

Felix broke from Hyunjin's side, sliding in between Chan and Changbin to hopefully fit in the conversation. He seemed to find something thrilling to discuss, since both he and Chan started babbling in both korean and english, affectively excluding everyone else from the conversation without realizing.

Nobody minded it- their chatter was endearing, too.

Minho caught up with Jisung, finally ready to talk rather than watch the others do so. Jisung shot him a smile, ready to ask him a question when Changbin called for attention. "We should decide which rides to take, there are some fun games back where we came from."

Jisung nodded hurriedly, keeping his eyes on Minho as Chan and Felix ended their conversation, Felix dragging Changbin by the hand to one of the water balloon attractions with Hyunjin hurriedly following to third wheel them.

"Do you want to go for cotton candy?" Jisung offered, Minho sparing Jeongin exactly one glance before realizing they absolutely had to ditch the two of them, for all of their sakes. "Absolutely. Let's just, aha," He agreed, both of them speedwalking away before Chan could catch on. He noticed Jisung's shoulders shake, both of them bursting into laughter once they heard the eldest's startled yell.

"Do you think it would work?" Minho asked breathlessly, avoiding looking at Jisung since he knew the other was smiling at him. "Who knows? I can't believe they hadn't gotten together since I last saw them. I honestly thought, since Jeongin said he was taken…"

Minho nodded, another string of laughter leaving him before he could shuffle it down. "He was definitely talking about Chan though."

"I figured."

The two of them walked around a bit, Minho slowly adjusting to the fact Jisung was going to be unfairly gorgeous and cute all darn day. They got the cotton candy first, both forgetting the purpose of having friends there anyway. They weren't supposed to be making this a date- they were supposed to be in a calm and controlled environment, seventh wheeled.

Who cares? This might be the last time they hang out like this.

Jisung pulled him around by the hand, noticing the bracelet but never commenting on it. His eyes said enough, happy, glinting in the sunlight.

They reached a shooting booth, Minho raising an eyebrow in a silent challenge. His personal gun was due to arrive any day now, but Jisung didn't have to know he had experience in this. He wondered if Jisung have used a gun before.

Right, Chelle.

The two of them paid the cashier, each choosing their own gun. Jisung took the right handed, normal, while Minho took left, since he was ambidextrous.

"What do you do if I beat you?" Jisung asked, and Minho took a moment to reconsider, since he didn't really know what Jisung could and couldn’t do yet.

"Let's bet on food, I can buy you your lunch," Although he wasn't much of a spender, he realized, he wouldn't mind treating him out anytime. It was Jisung, after all.

"You got it. Same for you?" Jisung asked, earning a nod in reply. He leaned forward on the counter, aligning the aim with his right eye. Minho followed suit, aiming with his left.

"On three?"

"One,"

"Two,"

"Three-"

They closed their eyes.

Jisung was shaking, wrapped in Minho's embrace as the ground rattled, taking bomb after bomb from the sky.

The radio made an awful white noise, soldiers screaming and begging for help. When the sky cleared, Jisung moved away slightly, looking to Minho with a desperate expression.

"When are the reinforces coming?" He asked, hope wading away.

Minho returned his gaze, eyes expressing what his lips couldn't to his loved one. There was none, they wouldn't be saved.

White noise trailed from their belts. "Help!- We're injured, Seam, he's dying, he's dead, we've been shot, we-"

Cut off again to stronger, more intense white noise.

Jisung stood.

"where are you going?" Minho asked, standing up in response. Asked although he knew already, Jisung and him were no strangers at this point.

"I'm a medic, I have to help them Minho. It's our team."

Minho shuddered, the thought of setting foot outside unbearable.

"Our team was led to an ambush, it's an ambush Jisung, we can't-"

Minho quieted at the calmer look Jisung gave him this time, mind set.

"Stay here."

"You're not going! Jisung, I'm in charge of field intelligence remember? I know what they have, you won't be saving anyone if you go. It's a death trap."

Jisung grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers as he did when the other was nervous.

"And I'm the medic. Those soldiers made a bet for our lives, for our korea. Our team is still alive and injured, they need me and you know it."

As he spoke, the radio made more noise. "We need back up, we need-"

Tears trailed down Minho's face, unable to stop the incoming doom.

"Please stay, nothing matters if you leave me, I can't do this alone."

Jisung made the most impressive show of holding back his tears despite the grief sullying the air.

"I have to go. They're out there, they need me too."

"I need you"

"I know."

Minho made a shuddering exhale, pulling Jisung towards him to lay a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Let's both go then." He offered, tone hiding his desperation.

Jisung nodded, the two walking to the edge of the debris they took shield under.

"On three" He readied.

One.

Two.

Three.

.

Minho snapped his eye open, fingers desperately reaching for Jisung's hand as memories of death clouded his vision. When he found it he clasped their palms together roughly, barely registering Jisung's heavy breathing at his side.

He inhaled sharply, eyes shooting up to make sure he's okay, Jisung's right there next to him.

He's okay,

Jisung is okay.

He felt his heart racing, watching his love raise his eyes to meet him in a breathless moment. Had he seen it? What was that sight just now?

Minho knew he was looking pale by now, but so was Jisung squeezing his hand tight in his own. Should he up his dose of pills? It might be time to see his psychiatrist again.

Doing his best not to panic in public, Minho turned to shoot a nervous smile at the worker who was looking at them both with eyes full of concern. "Sorry, we, uh, you keep the change."

He swallowed thickly, pulling Jisung away from the booth by the hand. The other had followed without question, which Minho would have found weird if his thoughts were any more coherent than they currently were.

"Jisung," He paused, turning to the younger. He raised his hand quickly, covering Jisung's right eye with his palm. "What do you see?"

Jisung blinked, confused at the gesture. "You?" He replied, Minho dropping his hand as if it caught fire. "Sorry, never mind."

Of course he couldn't have seen it, what was he thinking?

"Hyung," Jisung piped up, regaining Minho's attention. He turned to him, taking in the clear distress showing in his eyes still. "Can I, hug?"

Minho felt a huge wave of protectiveness wash over him, pulling Jisung into his arms without hesitation. They stayed like that, warmth melting their terror away as they felt each other's heartbeat thrum in sync with their own.

They are alive.

It took a moment for them to calm down, processing the things they just saw in their mind. "Did you see it too?" Jisung wanted to ask, but he was so sure Minho hadn't, because why would he? It was absurd.

What was this, even? A glimpse of their past life?

They parted at last at the sound of yells, Minho frowning lightly at how familiar it sounded. Felix?

They turned a few corners, finding Felix and Hyunjin in the middle of a harsh argument. It was not something that happened to them often, and Minho could guess it was about Changbin this time.

"You know what you're doing! Stop acting like you're five, this is why he never takes you seriously!"

"I just want to feel included! You don't have to bring unrelated things into this, you know I'm sensitive about that-"

"You're sensitive about everything! I never ask for anything, now I finally want something so you stand in my way? Come on, I've always supported you in whatever you needed!"

"Okay fine! I guess I'll just go disappear somewhere then! I thought you cared about me, I guess not," Hyunjin spat back, both of them visibly upset.

"You're such a drama queen! Yes, go somewhere else! You can handle yourself can’t you?"

"Go to hell."

Minho paled farther, rushing to intervene. "Guys don't fight, come on, you're friends-"

"I'm not his friend," Hyunjin remarked, earning a light punch to the shoulder from Jisung who rushed to his side for that exact purpose.

"You've been friends for years, this is a stupid fight so make up," Minho conditioned, tone serious. "Fine," Felix agreed, Hyunjin refusing to accept his hand.

"I'm not talking to him."

Minho felt himself get mad, taking a deep breath before settling on a method of action. "Let's find the others and get us some food? We can talk it out after you've calmed down."

The two huffed.

Changbin seemed exhausted, obviously guilty although he wasn't too sick of it to peace out yet. Thankfully, Minho thought, he and Felix seemed to be fine with each other despite the awkwardness that settled over them.

Minho found Jeongin and Chan in a startingly peaceful scene. The two of them were both invested with each other, Chan's dimples showing from how brightly he was smiling. Jeongin was standing over him, hands placing yet another cute hair clip from the nearby stand in his fried curls, pushing it back. He added a rainbow clip, a star, a ducky, a bow, a smiley and a heart, so many that Chan's hair was littered with them.

How cute.

Minho turned to look at Jisung, the two of them exchanging a line of conflicted stares debating if they should disturb. It was interrupted when Chan noticed the two, making a beeline towards them with the mess still in his hair.

Minho forced down his laughter.

"Oh, right," Chan realized, sending Jeongin an apologetic glance before starting to pull out the various hairclips. "Do you need something?"

"We were going to ask you if you want to eat with us," Jisung offered, pouting back at Jeongin who looked at them with his best puppy eyes.

"We'd love to," Chan agreed, turning to pay for he clips before following them, Jeongin trailing behind him.

Gathered together it seemed Hyunjin and Felix hadn't magically made up yet. Minho sighed, suggesting Hyunjin should go get them drinks. Hyunjin objected a little, wavering under a single glare from Minho. "Okay."

The boys passed their order, Minho and Jisung collecting food orders for them to bring back from one of the nearby food stands, since they needed more than one set of hands to carry it.

Eventually Hyunjin left, Minho and Jisung walking toward the best looking food stand, which unfortunately had the longest line, too.

The sight at the shooting stands was utterly forgotten.

"Chan and Jeongin are really cute, I hope this goes well for them," Jisung commented, and Minho blinked at the realization they were thinking about the same thing again. The two of them were always way too in sync, it was scary.

"I don't like the pinning, but I guess, they can't help it right? It would be so easy if they just decided to be together, same as today," Minho confessed, realizing his words could be easily misinterpreted.

"Just them. For them it's like that, Jeongin and Chan," He hurried to add, Jisung coughing awkwardly.

It was obviously not the same in their case, right?

It wasn't optional.

Standing in line, the two of them avoided each other's eyes until it was their turn to order. The list was a bit long, each of their friends wanted something to eat, and since they were seven even Jisung stumbled a bit over his words rapping it out.

Minho glanced at him once, slipping his hand in his to reassure.

The final straw.

Jisung stilled. "Sorry, can you give us a moment? You guys can order in the meantime," he apologized, nodding at the next people in line after them before pulling Minho aside, out of the booth and down to its side. He seemed so upset, Minho started to panic.

He shouldn't have done that.

What was he thinking? Sending those messages again, today was a good day, he thought they were fine- but there he goes making Jisung upset. He should have apologized, should have begged for forgiveness, Jisung looked so done, Minho worried for him.

"Are you okay? Ji-" He started, feeling Jisung's hand tug his shirt down to his level.

Kissing him.

Minho blinked once, barely having the time to process the feeling of Jisung's lips on his before his body reacted, melting completely and leaning into it as a way of kissing back, feeling like magic, it was so soft like a heaven on earth.

Warm.

There was probably something to be said about this, about kissing serial killers first of all, about Jisung giving him his first kiss on a whim, about both of them never quite working things out before they fell together and about doing this out in the open where anyone could see- anyone could stop and stare, but,

All he heard were explosions, and they said what they said.

He felt Jisung's grip tighten a bit around the material of his shirt, knowing and not caring that he stretched the cloth there. Let the marks stay, let time stop right fucking now, at the moment he felt brave enough to hold him too, arms finding place on his hips, keeping him close as their lips moved together.

Saying it was only a peck rang as a terrible lie. The two of them lit up, it felt like so much- they just stayed that way, unwilling to break contact. They treasured this, craved it so much, it was everything they wanted, all they dreamed about and more.

It seems that they forgot to breathe, accidently.

The sound of plastic hitting the ground was just barely alarming enough, they both took a moment to catch their breath before Minho glanced up at the source, feeling the sky come crashing down on him.

Fuck.

Hyunjin.

How much bad luck did it take to have him witness that moment, all of the drinks he bought spilled on the floor as he stared at them in shock, tears beginning to spill.

"Huh?"

Minho made a quiet noise, unsure what to say. It was exactly what it looked like, he had nothing to defend his case.

Their case.

He took a step towards his friend, pausing when Hyunjin flinched and stepped away. By then Jisung had turned around too, both hands raised to cover his mouth in shock.

Minho felt bad for him as well, he realized. All that Jisung gave him, he took without question- never giving a thing in return, watch how he stole his first kiss from him too. Minho was the worst person for Jisung to love.

Everyone knew, even Jisung himself.

Soon enough Hyunjin seemed to recover, closing his mouth and wiping harshly at his eyes before turning on his heel and walking away. The act made Minho snap out of it too, picking pace a bit to chase after him, unwilling to let it be.

They were friends so they had to make up, they just had to.

"Hyunjin-"

Said friend turned, expression bewildered. "What? What hyung? Leave me alone," He demanded, Minho catching up to him still. "Let's talk about it-" he tried, feeling the air knocked out of him at a harsh shove, Hyunjin turning back around and leaving. It took a long moment for him to process it, even-

That Hyunjin just pushed him, he never, they didn't-

There's nothing to save.

Minho felt all emotions gradually seep out of him, ending up indifferent. He didn't know what to feel, didn't know what to do but stand there staring at the spot where Hyunjin stood only a moment ago, now empty.

He really lost him just like that, in the blink of an eye. It felt so surreal.

Every moment now he will wake up. This will end up being one of his dreams, a hyper realistic one maybe, but still a dream. Hyunjin didn't see that just now, he didn't push him, didn't leave without asking, Hyunjin was just as asleep as he was.

Right?

He turned, eyes searching for the spot where he recalled leaving Jisung. He was still there surprisingly, eyes wide as if the shock hadn't left him yet, and to be fair it hadn't left Minho yet either.

Minho stared, unsure what to say to him. Should he walk back? He bet Jisung felt like shit too. This was the worst possible outcome for their situation, they couldn't just go about their day. He wanted to comfort him, his mind running a vague thought yelling for comfort too, but his legs wouldn't move, he was stuck in his place.

They were kissing a moment ago, it… it really happened, this time.

Wow.

Minho's hand twitched, feeling a sudden urge to raise it to his lips which tingled at the memory of Jisung's mouth on his.

More.

Absolutely not.

His legs regained mobility, carrying him back to the other. "We should go, um, tell the others, Hyunjin left."

Jisung nodded quickly, dropping one hand covering his mouth before starting to fidget with his nails, a habit that Minho struggled not to correct by slipping a hand in his own- Those urges have earned them enough trouble for today.

They messed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayy!! Aren't you happy?? You got what you wanted! you asked for this right? You wanted them to kiss didn't you? well here it is take it or leave it.  
> I told you to worry some more about Hyunjin.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so emotional rn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No really, I might cry if I read this again.  
> prepare for the most emotional chapter in the entire series so far.

Minho stood in place, trying to find the words to tell his friends about what happened. He and Jisung have walked right back to where the others were seated, all four of them raising their eyes wondering what happened to the food they left to get.

"Felix? Can you come over for a moment? I need to speak with you," he forced out eventually, Felix looking a bit dejected as he probably expected a scolding for his own fight with Hyunjin. Minho took him to the side, glancing at the others for a moment to make sure they were out of earshot before turning back to the younger.

"Listen, I know I was a bit harsh with him, but I already agreed to make up, he's taking it too far-" Felix started, Minho fidgeting nervously.

"That's not what it's about. Felix, Hyunjin left, I don't know where he went," Minho explained, knowing he would have to admit to what he did next.

"What? Isn't that a bit much? I thought we were going to make up," Felix replied, hurt and confusion clear in his voice.

"He saw us kiss, it was an accident I swear, I didn't mean for it to happen."

Felix paused. "Who, what? You were," He tried, eyes widening as he processed the words. "You kissed Jisung? Oh my god. Oh my god, and he saw?!"

Minho sucked in a breath, feeling Felix's sudden panic gradually taking hold of him as well. "I can't believe you- please tell me you've talked about it at least, you talked to Hyunjin right? Please tell me you talked to Hyunjin-"

Minho stared at him in distress, eyes telling of how badly he messed up. "Oh my god, hyung, you hadn't even told Hyunjin you like him- you said you weren't going to act on it- I trusted you!"

At this point Minho began to feel every word hit like a physical slap. He didn't mean to, it wasn't planned- He never thought it would end up like this.

"I wasn't the one who started it, he kissed me first-" He started, Felix cutting him off with a look so harsh Minho did a double take. Okay well, "I kissed him back, I'm sorry."

"You're a horrible friend, you should be begging for forgiveness right about now, I shouldn't have trusted you with him" Felix accused, pulling out his phone to dial Hyunjin's number.

No reply.

"You have the worst timing ever, there's no way he'll be picking up my calls now. I can't even comfort him, we hadn't made up yet…" Felix trailed off, calling again only to reach voicemail right away.

"We're going to have to break up and search for him."

Minho nodded slowly, following Felix back to where their friends were seated. After a short parting they speed-walked to Minho's car, the older going ahead and starting the drive to Hyunjin's place.

"It would have been okay if you told him. You know he cares about you, I don't understand-" Felix picked conversation back up, deciding to drop it again shortly after.

"I don't want either of us to get involved with him, I told you. My feelings are not relevant, I wasn't going to act on them to begin with," Minho countered, attempting to defend his case. "I did talk to Hyunjin, I told him about my suspicions, that I think Jisung is fishy- how I feel wasn't important."

Felix let out a tortured groan.

"You're telling me you told Hyunjin to stay away from Jisung and then, this? That's even worse actually, you don't have the slightest idea of how badly you messed up."

Minho sighed. "He's going to forgive me though, right? Hyunjin always gets it eventually, I had reasons, I was really trying. Even if he liked Jisung, even if I didn't tell him the full truth, we're important to each other"

Felix closed his eyes, raising both palms to rub over his face. "No, I mean, you really don't get it. You never did, it was never about Jisung."

"What the fuck is it about then?" Minho threw back, annoyed.

Felix chose to ignore him, unwilling to say it.

They two of them reached Hyunjin's place, Minho parking the car while Felix walked upstairs to the apartments. When Minho followed he met him half way, Felix explaining that he was not there.

Minho's breath hitched.

Not again.

"Let's stay and wait, maybe he hadn't arrived yet, or maybe he's taking a walk to calm down, we wouldn't know," Felix suggested, leading back to the parking lot and settling into the passenger's side. Minho settled into the driver's, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair.

It was never about Jisung.

.

_"It's just ice cream! I can go get a new one." He added, although he had no such intention._

_"You can have mine." Hyunjin offered kindly._

_"Really?" Minho asked, touched. That meant a lot, coming from him- All three of them needed this treat after feeling so stressed for a long time…_

_"I'll remember this." Minho promised, Felix taking his que to let go so he could take Hyunjin up on his offer. Under different circumstances he might have declined._

_Hyunjin took one last lick before longingly passing his ice cream to his friend. "Make sure to hold it well." He requested._

_._

_"Oh, he really is kinda cute."_

_Minho froze, glancing from Hyunjin to the boy and back as if he was crazy. "Why would you say that??"_

_Hyunjin pulled his shoulders, unbothered. "Not your type? You were staring."_

_Minho swallowed hard, unable to understand himself. His fists clenched and unclenched, lost and upset for no reason at all._

_"You're here with me, don't get distracted." He demanded angrily._

_"Speak for yourself." Hyunjin stared at him weird, eventually rolling his eyes and heading down the stairs--_

_\--How about you give me your number and we can work out that movie sometime?" Jisung offered, hopeful._

_Minho fought back a wince, excuses running through his mind. Hyunjin stepped closer, pouting as he rested his elbow over Minho's shoulder._

_"Am I excluded from this?" He asked with offense._

_"No, you're always invited! Of course." And just like that, Hyunjin's pout turned to a smile._

_"Great." He said, turning to pull his phone out of his pocket--_

_\--"Bye~" Hyunjin waved, smiling at Jisung's back._

_Minho exhaled deeply as they walked away as well, clinging onto Hyunjin's side._

_"What happened to you just now? I don't think I've seen you this anxious since your first time on stage." Hyunjin noted, smile melting off._

_So it was obvious then, Minho figured. He couldn't find it in him to be grateful to Hyunjin._

_"Do you like him or not? I really couldn't tell." Hyunjin asked, realizing his previous question will be left unanswered._

_"I don't like him." Minho clarified, aware that it was nothing short of a big, fat lie._

_"Are you sure?" Hyunjin persisted. "Minho, you know that I,"_

_Minho blinked, confused by Hyunjin's sudden nervousness. "You're what?" He asked, genuinely confused._

_"Nevermind. Please bear with me." Hyunjin answered, detaching from Minho and walking to the shotgun's side._

_"Okay." Minho replied simply._

_._

_"I don't have a crush, Hyunjin does. Go bother him."_

_Felix stared, trying to process._

_"How do you know?" He asked with suspicion._

_"He's obvious." Minho replied simply. Felix blinked._

_"Just so we're clear, who do you think it is?" he checked, tone careful._

_"A guy named Jisung. We met him at the art show, and then out at the movies and on to a dinner date." Minho explained, faced with a dumb expression._

_Felix exhaled, looking a little more tired than before. "Okay."_

_"Okay?" Minho threw back._

_"Okay. I will go bother Hyunjin, since you're both my equally stupid friends." Felix added._

_._

_"Oh! Felix, you're also invited." Hyunjin remembered when they entered the showers._

_"How nice to be included." The other retorted. "I can't go. I don't know when this is, leave me out of your love triangle."_

_Minho's breath hitched, looking to Hyunjin._

_"What are you even talking about? Minho doesn't like Jisung. I have to drag him along every time." Hyunjin replied without missing a beat._

_Felix huffed a laughter, snorting a little when it bloomed into full on giggles._

_"Smooth." He said eventually, and Minho wondered if there was something he was missing._

_"Shut up." Hyunjin threw back, turning off the water stream._

_._

_"You don't know the half of it, my life is always like this." Minho shot back, feeling suddenly conscious of his contact lens. "I'm fine now, be quiet and let me drive."_

_Hyunjin obeyed, shooting Minho an offended glance. He knew the younger didn't like when he talked this way, but really what did he know? He doesn't have a say on how Minho lived his life.--_

_\--"Hyung?" Hyunjin asked, frowning. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to cry."_

_Minho's breath hitched, choking on panic. That was it, the hotel. Nice and clear, entrance sign unmistakable. So, Gumri too…?_

_He felt a sting, goosebumps running when his eyes met Jisung's again. "It's pretty." He choked out, having to take a moment._

_"Do you feel ill? Hyung, is it bad again?" Hyunjin panicked, Jisung looking panicked as well at noticing his expression._

_"I'm perfect, guys, drop it. Don't make me talk."_

_Jisung nodded slowly, Hyunjin biting his lip in conflict. "Let's at least get you seated. If you feel like you want to go home tell me, alright? We can take a cab." The taller settled, guiding Minho's hand to rest on his shoulder so he could lean his weight on him._

_"I'm fine." Minho repeated with slight annoyance, allowing Hyunjin to help him sit on the big stairs. "Don't treat me like I'm fragile, I can handle myself."_

_Hyunjin seemed offended at that. "That's not it, Hyung- you know, right? You know I care."--_

_\--"Jisung is so talented, isn't he? I can't believe I didn't know." Hyunjin voiced, earning a groan from the older._

_"Do you want me to get you some water?" he offered, ever the reliable friend._

_"No." Minho refused gently. "I just want to go home."_

_Hyunjin hummed, raising a hand to comfortingly pet Minho's hair._

_"Whatever you want. I'll call a taxi, then."_

_Minho hummed, rubbing his nose on the other's shirt. "What about Jisung? How will he get home?"_

_Hyunjin hummed, seeming unbothered. "Jisung can handle himself, right now I care more about you."_

_Minho exhaled, feeling comforted. It was nice to hear, that Hyunjin's was his friend first and foremost. That's how things have always been with him and his friends._

_"Let's at least tell him goodbye." he decided._

_._

_"It doesn't even read much like a love letter, I think the writer just reads me very well. It's a cry for my attention, maybe, someone who likes me a lot," He described, slightly unsettled._

_"Is it Hyunjin?"_

_Minho squinted, unsure where the question came from. "What? Why would it be Hyunjin? They write too pretty to be him, anyway."_

_Felix snorted. "Sometimes I worry how they let you work as an investigator; you suck pretty bad at reading the room."--_

_\--"Hyunjin was there. He didn't realize the lyrics meant something,"_

_Felix let out a low laugh. "He's too oblivious for his own good, the love triangle took a turn for the worse."_

_Minho hummed. "Well, I don't like Hyunjin or Jisung, so it's not really a triangle for me."_

_The younger sighed. "That's not how it goes, that's not- never mind, I always almost tell you, but I promised not to. Solve your own issues, communicate."_

_Minho nodded, not actually understanding what the other was going on about._

_._

_"Your eye, it's really pretty."_

.

Back in the present Minho took a deep breath, opening his eyes and staring ahead.

"Felix?"

.

_"It's too sad if your cover up story is the only one who doesn't have feelings for you."_

_Minho stiffened._

_"You'll be like, two on four on the not liking me squad. You're not alone," He pointed, half joking._

_"Right, your cats do count. which one doesn't like you?"_

_All of them liked him and everyone knew._

_"Hyunjin, Hyunjin doesn’t like me."_

_Felix huffed. "That's true, I forgot Hyunjin likes Jisung."_

_"What-" Minho threw back, cut off by the bell.--_

_\--"Do it as a favor, for me? Just this once. Your approval means the world to me, you know? You have to like him."_

_Minho hummed._

.

_"Don't worry about it. Hyung, you're always my priority- whatever you say I do, okay? I trust you a hundred percent."_

.

Hyunjin.

"Felix-"

.

_Introducing his friends to Jeongin went smoother than expected. While Felix immediately adopted him, Hyunjin seemed to hit immediate flirt mode, which led the younger boy to say he was taken._

_"Minho if you brought me here thinking I was the hookup type-" He ranted, causing the other three to chuckle softly, all equally endeared._

_"No that's fine, me too," Hyunjin admitted in a soft voice._

_"You too?" He asked, and the car fell to silence._

_Minho hummed lowly, wondering how to fix it._

_"Actually, Innie, we're going to meet up with Jisung from the flower shop! Hyunjin used to have a crush on him, but he decided it was a bad idea. Right?"_

_Hyunjin nodded._

.

_"Are all three of you this drunk, did you finish the extra shots? And where's Jeongin?" He questioned, rightfully upset himself. Hyunjin seemed to be the level of drunk he couldn't reach easily without a drive, as if he was tired of being sober._

_"Minhooo…" He dragged out, arm sneaking around his waist, and it only confirmed just how high he had been, since normally Hyunjin was scared to touch Minho._

_He even forgot his hyung title, this time._

_"Hyunjin is drunk," Felix commented, scaring Minho who thought the other was asleep by how peacefully he was sitting, eyes closed with his head resting against the wall. "And you?"_

_Felix hummed, voice turning out way deeper than intended. "The two of us fought, so he's sad about that."_

_Minho sighed._

_Changbin mimicked his sigh, attempting to answer the questions Minho asked. "Jeongin-ah left to get water over half an hour ago and hadn't returned. I tried to look for him but this one is a clingy drunk, and searching around the club with him is almost impossible."_

_Felix nodded._

_"We fought about that."_

_Minho cursed his luck, knowing he had to find Jeongin in spite of his drunk friend clinging to him like a koala. He shook him slightly, surprised to see Hyunjin smile in his sleep, and wait- was he sleeping? Apparently not._

_Hyunjin made a sound, brushing his lips against Minho's neck._

_"Okay, well, I guess I'm taking him. We'll look for Jeongin, you guys find Jisung and order a cab for us?" Minho requested, struggling to stand up with Hyunjin leaning his weight on his side._

_"I love you hyung-" He mumbled adorably, and Minho almost couldn't get mad at him._

_Almost._

_"Stop leaning on me!" He called with annoyance._

.

"Minho, breathe-"

.

_The sound of plastic hitting the ground was just barely alarming enough._

_"Leave me alone."_

.

Minho took a shaky breath, placing a hand on Felix's shoulder. "How long?"

"How long what?" Felix asked, expression clouded with worry.

"You know what I'm talking about, you knew from the start."

Felix just stared, sadness filling his eyes.

"…Around two years, I think."

"…We hadn't been friends for two years, we were strangers,"

"I know."

Oh.

"Why didn't he tell me?"

The two of them paused, Minho's tears dripping lightly onto his jeans.

"It was clear that you don't feel the same for him, you know."

…

"Then, Jisung..?"

"No, that was real too," Felix mumbled, eyes trained on the floor for a moment before he expanded on it finally. "For the first time he tried to get over you, I think."

Minho pulled his nose, leaning his forehead against the steering wheel. He let himself cry, Felix giving him his space.

All of this time, Hyunjin was in love with him.

.

Minho blinked harshly, feeling his contact lens burn after crying too much. Felix had offered for him to go home, since Minho was in no state to nervously sit and wait for their friend at the moment, let alone face him. Minho agreed, cowardly as it was.

He hadn't driven home.

He made his way through the front gate, knocking on the big door and praying for it to be her who opened up.

No luck.

"What are you doing here?" His father asked, hostile by default yet hesitant at the sight of Minho's puffed up red eyes.

"Is Ryujin home?"

The older man thought it through for a moment, ignoring his question. "I heard you got a nice internship."

"I did," Minho confirmed.

"You've been on tv."

Minho nodded, exhausted.

"Good job."

The praise took him off guard, eyes widening in shock. He could barely process it when he heard his dad call Ryujin's name, the tapping of her feet running down the stairs barely registering with him.

"Oh my god- okay, I've got it handled, thanks dad," She mumbled fast, bowing hurriedly before pulling Minho on her way outside. "Are you okay?"

Minho hummed, Ryujin's lips tightening before she took his hand, the two of them beginning to walk towards their favorite spot in the neighborhood since childhood.

When they reached the empty playground Ryujin let his hand go, running towards the swing set and settling down on the one to the right. Minho followed her fondly, the sight cheering him up only the slightest bit.

"What happened to you?"

Minho took a deep breath, starting from the beginning.

He talked about Hyunjin,

About Jisung's paintings,

Hyunjin's going missing,

His first kiss with Jisung,

Hyunjin saw.

Ryujin nodded along, taking in a surprising amount of information without comment. He had gone through so much, it was such a relief.

"I don't know, I have no idea what to do," He ended lamely, too tired to cry anymore.

"Well," Ryujin started, finally voicing out her opinion. "I realize Hyunjin is important to you, but I don't think there's much you can do about it. He liked you for a long time, it was bound to happen at some point."

Minho started to protest, knowing that even if it was a time bomb in waiting, they would have been fine if today didn’t happen. He lost a friend and there was no way to fix it.

"No. Two years is a long time, I think, if you hadn't broken his heart now then he would have suffered more, in the end. Now is a good time to get over you, and maybe one day you can be friends again. I don't think it would disappear otherwise, and I want to believe you're not the pity date type."

Minho frowned deeper. Of course he wasn't, if he knew Hyunjin liked him earlier then he would have, he would have… he….

What would he do?

At least let him down easily, not like this.

Give him a warning, as Felix had said.

A heads up.

Minho felt so stupid.

"I should have known, I would have done things differently," He voiced out, Ryujin humming in agreement. "There's nothing you can do about it now, anyway."

Minho kicked at a small rock, staring down at the ground. He was responsible for this mess, it was all his fault.

"As for Jisung…"

He raised his eyes back to her, ready for a scolding.

"You should talk to him."

While not exactly what he expected, her words were right. He really should talk to Jisung, just, not now. When he'll feel ready, he'll confront him then.

"Liking him is a bad idea, right? I told you so, you thought I should go for it," Minho asked rhetorically.

"I don't know," She replied, surprising him. "Ryu-"

"I'm not an expert, yeah? But I think in love, there's a point when you should stop wondering if he killed someone and start wondering how you could help him hide the body."

Minho's jaw dropped, hand twitching in an urge to flick her forehead.

"What? You know I would do it for you, and if you love this guy I'd do it for him too, he's family."

"I hope you're not serious,"

"Dead serious," She assured, laughing as she swung away to avoid getting smacked for her words.

"He's the one good thing you've got going for you, except for me of course."

Minho hummed in disagreement, worried for his sister's sanity.

"I'll go pack a bag, then we can sleep over at yours!" She offered, jumping up mid-swing and lending on her feet.

"Really?"

"Of course, you think I'm letting you leave like this? No way. I know you're not comfortable here though," She explained, and Minho was hit by a huge wave of relief. "Go pack then."

The two drove back to Minho's apartment, both slightly in shock from their father's agreement to the entire ordeal. If they didn't know him, they'd think he's growing soft.

When they arrived they both washed up quickly, Ryujin cooing at his cats after being apart from them for so long. They all liked her too, it was very heartwarming.

After eating their takeout they both cuddled a bit, and Minho felt happy- genuinely, even after what happened earlier that day. If was the Ryujin affect, after all.

"Hey, oppa," She mumbled, leaning on him in a way that hindered his breathing.

"Yeah?" he wheezed, but didn't disturb her.

"I said all that, but I just want you to be happy. Do what you think is the best for you, okay? Live in a way you won't regret afterwards."

Minho hummed.

Ryujin turned slightly, rubbing her head into his shoulder before drifting off to sleep.

Minho tried to follow.

He couldn't.

Restless thoughts ran through his mind, staring up at his ceiling with his sister's soft breaths warm against his neck. Before he knew it it got so darn late, and he couldn't sleep- although he was exhausted.

Hours passed before Minho felt more than heard his phone buzz, lighting it up only to be faced with the time and date- June 21st, 1:41 AM.

He sighed quietly, careful not to wake Ryujin up as he struggled to release his arm from where it was being used as a pillow. He tapped his phone to read the message, feeling his heart race when he saw the contact name.

Me

Can't sleep?

Jisung

I'm thinking.

Minho halted for a moment, unsure what to expect from the younger.

Jisung

Can we meet up right now?

Minho swallowed thickly, realizing their situation. So, this was it- meeting Jisung in the middle of the night, it was clear what the younger had in mind for him.

This is how he dies, isn't it? Breaking his heart once again, now he's done it, but knowing it's Jisung-

He was willing to go.

Even if it meant death,

Jisung wanted to see him.

Me

Sure:)

Parking his car, Minho took a moment to scan over the empty park with his eyes. He couldn't really see very far out, although the moon lit down the path beautifully.

Waiting, Minho sat in his car and just thought. He thought about Hyunjin, about how he could fix the mess he made between them. He thought about Jisung, his last shot to turn him down. He could say it was one sided, maybe-

And then, to Hyunjin too, Jisung kissed him without warning, it wasn't a lie, he did, he still could-

This was fixable.

He jumped slightly at the sound of the passenger side door opening, Jisung sliding in gracefully next to him. "This is the first time I sit in the front, I think."

Minho blinked, watching in wonder as Jisung fiddled with his phone to play some music. The younger seemed tired, a big hoodie thrown on despite the warm summer night's air filtering through the windows.

"What are you playing?" He asked hoarsely, clearing out his throat in embarrassment.

"Ah, underrated 2019 gems."

Minho looked down, realizing Jisung had brought a can of soda with him when he entered his car.

"Do you want a sip? I bought this just now." He offered, cracking it open.

Where he usually would tell anyone to watch the seats, Minho accepted, taking a small sip before handing it back.

The car was silent except for the music, the sound of cicadas barely audible from outside.

The soda's taste lingered, it all felt so real.

"Hey, Min, I know, today was a bit hectic, a lot happened but," Jisung started at last.

"This is the point where you tell me to get out or kiss me." He ended, averting his gaze for a moment before bringing it back to the other, resolved.

Minho blinked, taking a moment to process the words. The song switched then, Tomorrow by Mika fading in softly.

"I'm sorry, I'll skip that." Jisung started, suddenly flustered.

"It's okay." Minho determined, eyes baring. Jisung almost had a heart attack again.

The blond boy sank back in his seat, looking at Minho with those big eyes he thought of too often. He chewed on his lip, anxious for what's to come.

He was right, after all- this was the end of the road for them, wasn't it?.

Minho breathed through his nose, trying to set the words right.

_But if this ain't what you wanted_

_Then why'd you even come here? It's two a.m._

_If this isn't what you wanted_

_Then why'd you put a smiley in your message then?_

Minho huffed, unable to keep a straight face at the thought.

A pause.

"Jisung-"

_So kiss me in the backseat of my vintage Benz_

_Oh, who gives a shit about tomorrow_ _?_

_When it comes, we can worry then_

_Oh, who gives a shit about tomorrow_ _?_

Jisung's face was burning red, unable to stay calm as the lyrics went on.

"I'm really sorry, I wasn't planning, you know- if you don't want to say it then I can just go." He ranted, opening the car door.

"Sit down." Minho ordered, planting Jisung back in his seat.

"I'm thinking, please give me a moment." He requested.

Honestly, there shouldn't be any conflict.

On one hand, he had his feelings. There's only so far he could go ignoring them, but setting them free could have been disastrous. Not only Hyunjin, he too could get hurt.

Jisung was dangerous, a murderer, the prime suspect in all of Minho's cases and theories. He gave him ptsd, kept the sleep out of his eyes with love and with fear all the darn time and it hurt, he couldn't feel at peace at his side.

Anything but a no would mean he let it all happen- dated the killer, like a dumbass. Ruined his life, sealed his doom and sided with a devil so to say.

The devil's Jisung.

Minho's bad at decisions.

It couldn't be okay. In the first place Minho thought he'd get murdered tonight, but this might be a worse torture than the former.

As the chorus filtered back in, Minho found that he was gayer than he thought. For heaven's sake, they seemed bound together by fate, it was oddly fitting.

Jisung's the devil.

Minho loved him anyway.

_So kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Oh, who gives a shit about tomorrow_ _?_

_When you know how lucky we are_

_Oh, tomorrow worry 'bout tomorrow (Tomorrow)_

Jisung closed his eyes, reeling at the feeling of Minho's lips on his. No words passed, emotions like sparks hitting the car roof and burning marks in their hearts.

So this is it, then.

Kisses of soda.

Minho hummed, drowning himself in the feeling he craved for what felt like forever to them. Jisung's lips were so soft, pressing against him with a fire like they wanted to seal it, make sure that he was staying for real.

As if he could do anything but kiss him.

"You're so stupid." Minho noted when they parted for breath, gasping slightly. Jisung frowned, huffing against him.

"What?" He asked, and Minho couldn't help a dazed smile at his own thoughts.

"You know I'm in love with you," he half-questioned.

"I-" Jisung's breath hitched. "I think I missed the que."

They shivered, Minho moving his hand to stroke the hair on the back of Jisung's head.

"Me too." Jisung added as he realized. "I didn't say, I am. I'm in love with you too."

Minho's heart sped again, feeling reassurance wash over him as he leaned in for another kiss.

Jisung sighed, unintentionally deepening the kiss. They both welcomed it, basking in the warmth that spread across their faces. The kisses were soft, a constant pressure passing between the two like butterflies.

"You're so beautiful." Minho confessed when he caught his breath.

"Yah! Don't start acting cool, this was all for my effort. You don't get to act all distant and then drop these on me." Jisung complained, and it dawned on Minho he really wasn't being very fair to the other in his decision-making process.

"Will you be honest with me?" Minho asked, worry seeping into his voice.

"About what?" Jisung asked, eyes big and innocent.

"Your secrets, your life. I will do it too." Minho promised, ready for what's more to come.

"Then, slowly." Jisung replied, earning a thoughtful hum.

"Slowly, I'll tell you it all bit by bit. Right now it's late and I'm tired, I couldn't sleep with my brain full of you." Jisung reasoned.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Minho asked. "How did you get here, anyway?"

Jisung shrugged. "I walked."

"Walked?!" Minho's tone rose. "It's late! What if something happened to you?!"

Jisung chuckled, and Minho was reminded suddenly of just how dumb that sounded to a serial killer. "I don't live far"

Minho reached out, tugging Jisung's seatbelt and clicking it to place. Jisung's expression softened, slowly reaching for another kiss.

After they parted Minho had to blink a moment, letting his brain refocus on the scene. There he was, sitting in his car and stealing kisses from a guy he used to fear.

He couldn't bring himself to care at all.

"Jisung," He started, feeling at peace at last.

"Yes?" Jisung asked, looking deep into his eyes.

"It's you," there was no one else for him.

"I choose you."

.

Minho stepped back into the dark apartment, paying close care not to wake up Ryujin from where she was sleeping, sprawled out on his bed.

He took a deep breath, staring out of his window. Slowly he slid it open, moving the net aside too so that it won't catch the smell of the smoke. He made his way to his table, picking up his papers and stashing them neatly, the hours he poured on those cases, the killings-

Gathering them all in a pile near the window. 

He passed through the kitchen, picking up what he needed before walking to sit on his windowsill. It was just between him and the moon, their small secret.

Pulling out the lighter, he burned it all down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Peppermist4 and kanging_hyunnie who actually care about Hyunjin and I'm pretty sure saw this twist coming as well, and to Strayakidss who I believe owes both Minho and Hyunjin an apology :p  
> Minho loves Jisung too much to go through with putting him behind bars, you guys can go all *surprised pikachu* now.
> 
> The song from Minho and Jisung's kiss scene is [Tomorrow by Mika](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k9OxvNjJ6I)


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cannn yo feellll the loveee todayyyy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly early update again because of work!  
> This one's for smutlix because I really was worried T_T  
> Not beta read because I didn't want to bother my beta--

The sound of someone walking about was never the sound that Minho woke up to.

Not since he was like, twelve, anyway.

The fact that it was so unusual might have been the thing which initially caused him to wake up at all, opening his eyes in wonder only to take it all in for a while.

"Good morning," Ryujin greeted.

Minho let out a hum, staring at the ceiling while he processed all that was last night. At one point he felt a smile creep in, recalling how good it felt to kiss Jisung. That was it, he was his, there was no going back.

He slept through the night after that, he realized.

"What are you thinking about?" Ryujin asked, taking a bite of the toast she made before sitting down on the bed next to him.

He had so much to tell her.

"Last night, after you fell asleep- I met him, we went out to the park, Jisung's idea," He started, unsure how to proceed.

"Wait! Wait, you met Jisung? While I was sleeping? Are you sure you hadn't dreamt that?" She asked, causing Minho to panic for a moment. He reached for his phone, opening his chat with Jisung only to see that the messages were definitely there- it was real, all of it.

He let out a sigh of relief, turning his screen to show Ryu the messages. "We met and we talked a bit, it was awkward but I chose him," The words earned a shocked sound followed by a smile. "I hope you're happy."

"I AM!" Ryujin called, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "I'm not even mad you kind of ditched me. All this talk saying you weren't going to pursue your feelings but in the end- god, I'm so proud of you."

Minho turned his nose, biting back a smile just as large. "And after that, I slept and the nightmares were gone!" He shared, Ryujin tightening the hug in her excitement. "That's great! Do you think they're gone for good?"

"I don't know,"

"Well," She decided, "Introduce him to me, then. I'm the family right? I get 'meet the boyfriend' rights like that."

"Actually, about that-" Minho started, smile dropping slightly. He wanted to keep her a secret, for now.

"Nevermind that, did you two kiss? Are you dating now? He's your boyfriend right? Officially?" She questioned, uncharacteristically enthusiastic.

"We did. Kiss, I mean, I think that means we're boyfriends."

Ryujin pulled back to stare at him strangely, making him squirm. "I really hope you're on the same page about this… do me a solid and ask him out for real, okay? So that it's clear he's not some random makeout."

Minho gaped, cheeks beginning to color with fluster. "No! no, it wasn't like that, I, we said, I told him, that I love him."

Ryujin froze, cheeks reddening too at the realization.

"Th- …Wow. That's… direct," she attempted.

Minho blinked quickly, willing his blush away. "He said it back."

"I'd hope so. God, oppa, care to share any other vital information?"

"No, I think I'm done."

"Okay."

"Okay."

The two of them remained in place for a moment, both at loss for words. Ryujin eventually took another bite of the toast, keeping the awkward eye contact going.

"So… did you make me some, too?"

.

Minho finally took a shower about an hour after Ryujin had taken the subway, assuring him she'd be fine even without him driving her home. He had so much to think about, and he was scared to text Jisung again after everything changed between them. What used to be so easy, now turned so complicated.

It really wasn't, though.

He stepped out hesitantly, glancing up in the mirror to seven familiar pairs of eyes.

He guessed he wasn't any better after all.

His breath hitched, scared to move with the ghost of all five of them behind him, and possibly the scariest was the one who's alive. Then he blinked, and it was as if there was nothing ever there.

Chelle.

Minra.

Gumri.

Daerin.

Monel.

Han Jisung.

.

Jisung on his end spent all day thinking about Minho. Those things they said last night, he really meant them didn't he? He loved Jisung, he loved him and it went _both ways_.

Jisung's feelings were finally, _finally_ reproached.

It took a while to convince Seungmin all he said really did happen. He was so tempted to text Minho, to ask "you really like me back, right?" Only to throw it all in his roommate's face. He was held back by the single thought, his desperate wish, just one time, for Minho to be the one who acts first.

Just this once.

Staring at his phone he sighed, leaning his chin on his palm like a lovesick fool. He kept recalling Minho's eyes, how he looked at him when he said it, "You know I'm in love with you," "I'm in love with you," "I'm in love with you," tasting soda in their kiss.

He couldn't wait.

"That's disgusting, at least go do something while you wait for him to call you," Seungmin whined, earning a glare. He was right though, Jisung was acting way too desperate.

He should have more self respect.

Jisung sighed, walking over to his drawers and pulling out his sketchbook and pens, only to march right back to his spot on the couch next to his cellphone. He opened a new page, beginning to doodle.

"Oh, that reminds me of your dancer art," Seungmin commented after a while, having caught a glimpse of his premature sketch. "And that showering dude."

Jisung splattered, taking offense to it. "I'll have you know I am one of the best in my class at showing a variety of body types and faces. This one is Minho, can't you tell? It looks just like him."

Seungmin rolled his eyes, ignoring him instead.

"The hard part is his eyes, I have no idea how to draw them. They're so expressive and pretty, I'm kind of scared to try. It can't possibly turn out as beautiful as the real thing, anyway," He rambled, Seungmin ticking his tongue in reply.

"Can you stop? Just freaking call him, this feels too painful."

"But I want him to call me, what's the point if it's just me again?" Jisung questioned, staring at him like it was obvious. At the same moment, his phone picked up ringing.

"It's him!" Jisung yelled, throwing his sketchbook aside and picking his phone nervously.

"Hello..." He started, waiting for Minho to reply.

"Hello Jisung, how are you?"

Oh, so they were doing this the awkward way.

"I've been great, I, really good. Amazing," he replied, startled by his own rant. "How about you? Are you doing okay? Did you sleep fine?"

He could hear Minho sucking in a breath, confusing him. "I did, I am, I'm awesome too."

The line fell into silence, Jisung sending a nervous glance to Seungmin across the room. "Are you calling about last night?"

Minho hesitated for a moment, finally letting out the nervous chuckle he's been holding back. "I just thought, I was wondering, how you've been, I'm not- I'm sorry, it's weird right? I'm usually more straightforward than this."

Jisung hummed back, agreeing with the statement. "Would you like to go out sometime? On a date, with me."

Jisung felt himself vibrate with excitement, hyperaware of his cheeks warming up. "I would love to go out with you, hyung, do you have anything in mind? Just tell me a time and place."

Minho coughed lightly, audibly flustered himself. "I hadn't thought that far, but, maybe on saturday? I can surprise you."

Jisung blinked for a moment, holding back a pout. "Saturday… that’s next week."

"It is."

"Oh, I mean, will I be seeing you before that? On campus, or like…" he trailed off, Minho catching up quickly. "Is that… too long? Do you want to meet earlier?" he worded carefully, and Jisung could feel embarrassed if not for the fact that he really did want to.

"I thought, I looked it up, how people usually wait for a bit before they set up a date," Minho explained, and gosh, they were so awkward, but at least they were trying.

"It's okay, I get it," Jisung assured, sulking a little before Minho managed to catch him off guard, same as always.

"No I- I want to see you before saturday too. It's too long, you're right. I thought the same, I just didn't know if it was just me or, how long is normal?"

"I don't know, I just, I want to see you."

"Jisung," Minho struggled, sounding a little like he was scared to even ask.

"Yes?" Jisung encouraged, rewarded with what he was wishing for the most. "Today? I don't want to wait at all. Are you free today? Let's just wing it, I want to see you."

Jisung felt himself melt at the words, rushing to give his enthusiastic agreement. "I would love to see you today, I miss you too."

On the other end of the room, Seungmin snorted.

"Hold on for a second, alright? Seungmin is giving me the stink eye," Jisung apologized, drawing his phone away from himself before yelling. "What do you want stinky head? That's so homophobic of you, oh my god."

Seungmin rolled his eyes, standing up from his chair at the dining table. "Every ounce of homophobia I had in me packed its little rugsack and left the moment I entered the boy's locker room on the first year of highschool. I just don't understand why you need to be having this conversation in the middle of our living room, I was trying to eat here."

Jisung squinted, counting 0;1 to Seungmin. He'll get him next time, that's for sure.

"Minho? Sorry, Seungmin is just bitter, said he hadn't gotten any action since his first gym class in highschool."

"Hey!"

"Poor Seungmin, maybe we should introduce him to Jeongin sometime. Get Chan to move his ass off the bleachers and join the game," Minho rolled along, making Jisung's grin widen.

"And where exactly would you be in this game scenario?"

"Not sure, you tell me first and then I'll find the answer."

Jisung's fluster got heavier, causing him to clutch his phone tightly. "How about a center back? That's what I used to be in highschool"

"Then I'm a striker. Did I score?"

"You did…" Jisung mumbled, free hand covering his smile as he did all that was in his power to avoid Seungmin's judgmental stare.

"I got lucky, I think" Minho breathed out, pretty pleased with himself.

"Who's the goalie in this?"

"last night, probably."

Jisung bit down on his lip, trying to come up with a good comeback for that. It seemed there wasn't one, he would have to agree.

"It feels nice," He said instead. "We should have talked like this from the start, I like this vibe better."

"I agree. Do you have a place you want to go today? I want to see you but I want it to be special too, we need to have an idea where we're going," Minho reasoned, Jisung searching his mind for ideas. "Let's just go somewhere pretty, like the river or a park, it's free and we could improvise from there."

"Okay, sounds great."

Jisung smiled at the reassurance, still slightly unsure. "It really is okay, right? There isn't some odd rule I'm missing for how first dates go- I never really, you're going to have to guide me through this."

"Oh," Minho fluttered, realizing the meaning of his words. "No I, we will have to figure it out together, I have no clue."

"Really?" Jisung chirped, heart skipping a beat. He was so confident a minute ago, but then again, was he? Was he that awkward because he was nervous? That was so cute, Jisung didn't know how to react.

"I had one date back in highschool, but it went very very badly," Minho supplied, feeling a sudden need to. "It was a girl, I never even liked her as a friend."

Jisung grimaced, feeling bad that Minho had to go through that kind of thing. "That sounds horrible."

"it was."

The two shared a moment of silence in honor of past Minho's failed attempt at playing straight, the man in question breaking it to ask Jisung when he'll be ready to go.

"Whenever you're good just, I need to change first or whatever-" Jisung replied, Minho adding quite sheepishly that it would probably take around an hour, since he was working out before.

"Okay, then, see you in an hour?" Jisung parted, feeling warm at the thought of meeting so soon

"I'll be there," Minho promised, sounding a little breathless too before they hung up.

"Oh god, Seungmin, what do I wear?"

Seungmin rolled his eyes again, secretly finding his friend more adorable than he usually was, which was a hard title to achieve. "Just put on what you usually do, you're going for a park. It's not a dinner date so you don't have to impress him at all. Anyway, I guess he really does like you, huh?"

Jisung's smile widened, glowing under the reassurance. "He does! Even you can tell he does, now."

Seungmin tried hard to fight it, tried not to show it, but a smile made its way to his face anyway. "Gosh, Sung, you're so cute. Of course he likes you, it was clear from the moment he showed up with those headphones for you and then stayed for dinner with your family. Who does that? If I hadn't seen for myself how he looked at you that time, I would have had a hard time believing he was real at all."

Jisung stared, at loss for words. "So- so you did believe me! Why did you make me think you didn't?! asshole!"

Seungmin crackled, avoiding one of the cushions thrown at his head from the living room area. "I don't want you to get hurt, Sung, this guy kept turning you down, he's got some damage."

At that, Jisung paused completely. "Don't talk about him like that. I'm sure he had his reasons, now Hyunjin is upset too, we knew that would happen."

Seungmin's smile dropped, realizing he overstepped. "I'm just worried, okay? If you like him that's good enough, I just hope you're being careful with him."

"Okay."

The two kept staring at each other, Jisung breaking off first. "Maybe I should introduce you to Hyunjin, the two seem so lonely some times, especially now."

Seungmin raised a hand, dismissive. "I'll pass. I'm really okay being single, I don't need to be some guy's rebound from your boyfriend."

"Why do you have to say it like that, I mean, you're right but you're also missing out."

"Maybe once I am done with this degree, I'll make time for that kind of thing. Not now."

Jisung sighed lightly, quickly switching for a more urgent topic. "Oh my god."

Seungmin just stared at him.

"A picnic- I should make some food!"

.

Jisung had spent the remaining of the time before their date first dressing up to his satisfaction and then pouring his heart out on making some sandwiches. Seungmin meanwhile watched, horrified to see what he was putting in those things.

"Is that kale?"

"We ran out of lettuce, leave me alone," Jisung defended, the other turning pale as he realized Jisung was serious about it. "Where did you even find defrosted kale? We don't eat kale, Jisung, I need answers."

"It might have been in the fridge for a while."

"How long? Are you seriously going to feed this to him? Have some mercy!"

"I would really appreciate it if you could stop criticizing my work, Kim Seungmin. I'm sure he's gonna love it no matter what, it can't taste that bad."

"Holy shit-"

The doorbell rang, Jisung rushing to wrap the last of it and put it in his handbag- "Jisung, you can't just- oh my god, good luck to him I guess," before opening the door to see the one he was waiting for so eagerly.

"Hi," He greeted shyly. "Hello," Minho replied, holding his stare.

Jisung raised a hand quickly, nervously tapping his exposed collar to calm down before saying anything. "You look nice," and he did, light tshirt and jeans, jewelry in his ears and the bee bracelet on.

"You too," Minho replied in a soft voice, eyes sparkling even as they crinkled up a bit. He offered his hand out to Jisung, fingers spread. "Let's go?"

Jisung took it slowly, never even telling Seungmin goodbye. His fingers felt so soft slotted in between his own, he forgot how much he liked it, how their palms touched together when they held their hands like this.

A little clammy, but not bad.

He nodded calmly despite his heart rate picking up, the two of them making their way downstairs in no time. He asked for just a moment to throw his bag on the backseat, throwing his phone right beside it since he won't be using that shit anyway.

When they settled in he sighed, Minho tilting his head like a cat in interest. "What's on your mind? Is something bothering you?"

Jisung shook his head no, smiling a little under the attention. "It's just, this car, I never thought I'd have a favorite car, but we made a lot of memories here. I really like it," He explained, hoping it didn't sound too stupid.

"Oh. I'm glad, I like it too. I bought this car on my own, actually."

"You did?"

Minho leaned in to tuck Jisung's seatbelt into place as he did last night, glancing back at his face at the question, eyes smiling. Jisung felt his breath catch in his throat, wondering if it was too much for him to initiate a kiss this early in their first date. He tucked his hands in his lap, regaining his composure.

"Impressive, right? I had it since highschool, it's a bit old but at the time I used all my savings on a license and then this car, I needed to be independent since my mom travels a lot."

Jisung only nodded, feeling warmth spread at the realization. Minho was sharing things, telling him about himself, like… a date.

They were on a date.

All of a sudden clutching the cloth of his pants wasn't sufficient anymore, and Jisung was all but helpless to fight the fluster that took over him. Minho smirked.

"Not sure what this is about, but, you're so cute, Hannie."

Here lies Han Jisung, nineteen year old, a-

"You."

Oh, he's said it. No brain to mouth filter, apparently.

Minho's lips made a tight line, trying not to fluster as well. He quickly put on his own seatbelt, starting the car and beginning the drive.

"You can't take it when I flirt back?"

"Don't mention it."

"You can't!" Jisung was smirking like a devil at that point, feeling like he's got the older all figured out already. "This is vital information," He claimed, earning an empty glare from Minho.

"Don't make me say that I like you, again" Minho warned, turning embarrassed by Jisung's teasing. If he knew, then why even ask? Of course he was affected, he never liked someone like that before.

Jisung pouted slightly, protesting the fact he always played coy like that, and then turned around to tease him even worse.

"It's not the same, when I do it you always react in a really cute way."

Jisung gasped, beginning a rant on how obvious his bias was, and what did that even mean, if he thought- was Minho blind? He could he miss how cute he was?

At a red light Minho stopped, turning to look at Jisung again. He was talking so animated, hand gestures everywhere, and looking so relaxed that Minho felt at peace as well. He only realized he was staring when Jisung hit his shoulder in protest, going on about how he was doing it again.

Not sure how to reply, Minho just took his hand, bringing it close to him before resuming his drive with one hand.

He seemed satiated, after that.

The two reached the park sooner rather than later, since that area had nicer spots to sit in that were shaded by trees, unlike the river. Minho parked the car in a paid-for parking lot, insisting he could afford it and didn't want to waste time driving looking for a free spot. He slid his phone in the back of his jeans, forgetting about it for the time being- just in case they needed it later.

Jisung seemed excited to finally step outside, stretching for a long moment before running to Minho's side, eagerly offering his hand.

So he liked to hold hands, too.

Overwhelmingly pleased by this information Minho took it, smiling pretty, so pretty Jisung almost missed a step. They were just so happy like this, staying in each other's orbit.

"Where do you want to sit?"

Jisung barely had to think about it, asking Minho to walk with him on the path directed away from JYP tower. There in one spot they derailed from the walkway, crossing through some bushes to an area that was private.

"Is this okay?" He asked, turning, standing way too close to Minho, but he didn't mind. "Perfect," he replied, spending a moment mourning the fact he hadn't thought to bring a blanket or a towel before sitting down in the grass anyway.

Jisung snorted a laughter, sitting cross-legged with his back to the tree.

"Now what?" He asked, trying to save them both from the awkward silence that was sure to fall otherwise. "What do people talk about on dates? What topics?"

Minho hummed, tugging on some grass. "I'm not sure."

That led Jisung to pause for a moment, thinking hard. "Well, I already know you, but I don't know you as much as I want to, not close. Makes sense?" He asked, as if used to others not following his train of thought.

"What do you want to know?" Minho asked, agreeing on that point. He knew what Jisung was like, but what classes did he take, who gave him the job at the greenery, what made him pursue art, what kinds of meat he liked- all sorts of minor details that weren't really minor at all, he was curious about.

The murders, less.

Jisung led the semi-interview with a question about his cats, and Minho was taken so badly off guard that he almost forgot to reply.

This guy.

He started with a story of how he adopted the three, where each one of them came from and how he considered them siblings. While he was talking Jisung seemed so pleased about it, that he had made Minho so eager to share, he was the one who placed the smile up on his face.

Their knees bumped together, and he kept reaching to touch his forearm for attention with visible excitement, seeming happy and relaxed.

So it went on.

"Actually," Jisung remembered after what seemed like ten minutes but was closer to thirty- "Oh crap, I forgot it in the car- may I borrow the keys? I'll be right back," He promised.

Minho didn't even hesitate, giving them to him.

Frantic Jisung ran to the car, flinging his bag out and checking on the sandwiches. They seemed a bit warm after waiting in the car, but it still seemed good enough to him, so he brought them back.

"Okay, sorry I didn't say anything, but actually I made sandwiches before we left, they're a bit warm" Jisung announced sheepishly, sitting back down next to Minho who hadn’t moved an inch.

"You made those? They look good," He complimented, accepting the one Jisung was offering him with big eyes.

"Yeah! Seungmin kept saying they looked really bad, so I'm happy to hear it," Jisung chirped happily, watching Minho who's eyes were darting from the sandwich to him and back.

Come on, Minho, he put effort into this. It can't be as bad as it looks, it just can't.

He took a big bite, immediately filled with disdain. So this is how Jisung killed him, he didn't know why poisoning was not on the list of ways he expected to die.

"How is it?" Jisung asked, still staring at him with those eyes, and Minho couldn't tell him, he just couldn't break his heart. Honestly? He's given up worse things for Jisung than just his taste buds and digestive system.

"It's good."

Jisung's smile widened, and Minho had to watch with horrified eyes as he opened his own and took a big bite of it, eyes watering immediately.

"Listen, hyung, I don't know how the fuck you managed that, you've got nerves of steel-" He commented after spitting back into the package none too gracefully. "I can't believe I made you eat that, oh my god."

"No really it's fine, It's good, I can eat it," Minho tried anyway, hoping to comfort the newly heartbroken Jisung. "Please don't, I appreciate the attempt but, I already know it's bad."

Minho sighed. "You put time and effort into it, so I like it. I do, okay? It's for me, isn't it?"

Jisung raised his eyes, Just in time to see Minho pointedly take another bite, fighting down his gag reflex. "You- okay, that's pretty admirable, but seeing you actually eat it makes me feel even worse. Here," Jisung decided, taking the sandwich away from Minho to make sure he won't take any farther bites before standing up, emptying his entire bag's content into the nearest trashcan.

"The kale was a bad idea," he muttered.

When he sat back down he covered his face with his hands, deeply embarrassed by how badly it failed. Minho had to talk him out of it for a while, swearing up and down he wasn't mad, it was the thought that mattered, alright?

After he calmed down they went back to their talk, feeling slightly awkward still from the upsetting experience.

Minho sighed.

"Come here," He decided, pulling Jisung to him slightly as a sign for him to scoot over. "What are you doing?"

"Just, please," He voiced, embarrassed to say it. Jisung moved over, quickly drawn closer so his back hit Minho's chest, arms wrapped around him. "Pretty Hannie, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I like you, it won't change because of some kale."

Jisung melted instantly, leaning heavier into his crush. "I like you too."

"I know," He reassured.

The two stayed like that for a while, cuddled up against the tree, birds chirping not too far away. Their soft words were only broken once one of their stomachs growled, and Jisung laughed with his whole body in a way that made Minho want to kiss him- licking his lips, he held back.

Were kisses appropriate on a first date? Maybe in the end of it, no? That's what they always did in movies, it wouldn't be right to kiss him now, they weren't done yet.

"Hey, hyung?" Jisung asked, turning his head to look at him.

At his hum he smiled, eyes sparking with an idea. "Let's get out of here, hm?"

That's how the two of them ended up in a mcdonalds, abandoning the idea of keeping it classy, there was no need to impress. Together, they were themselves.

"Okay okay, so, when I was back, there was this huge coffee stain in the middle, and no matter what I said Seungmin wouldn't admit to it, but I knew it was him. Who else could it be? But I forgave him anyway, he seemed really sorry that it happened."

Minho hummed, head tilted to the side leaning on one hand with the other in front of him, reaching for a nugget. His eyes were on Jisung for hours by that point, but it wasn't uncomfortable- he found them really pretty, dark pupils widened making his already dark eyes seem darker. Every once in a while he would laugh- bunny teeth showing, and Jisung would end up in awe taking it in.

On his end he was leaning in, holding his burger with two hands and trying not to talk with his mouth full, although evidently it didn't gross Minho out in the least. When he caught Minho dreaming and losing his focus, he's press their legs together and they'd play, kicking each other lightly on purpose and acting as if they were annoyed about it, playful.

Even when they finished, they decided to just stay, figuring that they were comfortable where they were.

Jisung was in the middle of another story when Minho reached in to wipe something off of his cheek. Really, he couldn't have known how badly Minho wanted to kiss him, but he still melted at his touch, raising one hand to cover Minho's own.

Minho took in all of the smaller details, the way he smiled lightly but not any less genuine, how warm it all felt, how domestic, as if he's been there countless times before already- but that couldn't be.

They only realized they've been there that long when a worker came to them, asking if they cared to move tables for them to clean that one, since although the place was open 24/7 they had set times for when they mopped the floor, and the place where they sat was clearly the only one left in a mess.

Jisung checked on the time, startled to find out that it was eleven at night. And sure, the sun has set, but it felt like it couldn't have been more than two hours since then at the very most.

"I don't want to go," he groaned after sharing that fact, Minho agreeing with the disappointment of having to put a stop there. It felt like he still had a lot of things to ask, but he knew they both had an early class tomorrow.

"It's okay, we can continue after we're done with classes right? This is just for now," He comforted, secretly hoping for Jisung to say yes.

"You're right, we have time-I can already see it, I'm getting excited, now. Let's go somewhere cool tomorrow too, okay?"

Minho snorted, soft giggles escaping him both out of amusement and pure happiness. "As cool as mcdonalds? Such high standards, I'll have to sleep on it."

Jisung smiled back, holding his hand out. "Let's go, Lino."

They did make their way back after that, hands swinging a little between them as they walked, shoulders brushing lightly every couple steps. Neither could hold back their smiles, they were so giddy, and Jisung almost snapped and kissed him before they even reached the car.

The drive home was comfortable, not yet tasting the end of the night, forgetting about the closing distance between them and Jisung's dorm. It was when they faced the door that they both felt a little lost, suddenly.

This was when he could finally kiss him, right? Just a small peck, like they did in the movies, but,

Remembering all of the times he wanted to kiss him today alone, why didn't he? What was he waiting for, a better time? They kissed before, it shouldn't be as complicated as he made it. He put so much of his life aside already, what was all of that worth if what was holding him back ended up being himself?

Fuck that, really.

He leaned down just enough, Jisung closing the gap on his own and then his arms were crossed behind his neck, holding him still as they kissed like they had time. Minho's arms found their way around his waist, and when he pulled him closer it felt somehow better, as if it was right, they clicked right into place.

Their lips moved together, noses brushing a little without pulling away, both wanting to just stay together without ever having to go. It only made sense, like them together was the obvious conclusion- their places were at each other's side, it was so clear.

They belonged together.

It must have been years before they pulled apart, gasping together into the same space between their faces- Jisung was smiling, Minho must have been, too- and neither had anything snarky to say so they stayed still like that, letting their heart rates settle.

It was Jisung who broke it, looking at him with amazement. "Whoa."

Minho would have laughed if he wasn't just as stunned. "Yeah, whoa."

He wanted to kiss him again, so he did- the second time just as addicting as the first. When it ended they took time to breathe once again, and Jisung made sure one last time that he was seeing him tomorrow, right? Promise?

"Tomorrow," he promised, pecking him again and willing his hands to do as they're told, pulling back to let him get inside. They lingered for a moment longer than they should have, and he would have felt embarrassed if Jisung's didn't do the same.

"Good night, Lino" He parted, looking at him for a moment longer while waiting for his reply. "Good night Hannie," and then he was unlocking his door and stepping inside, waving at him cutely before shutting it again.

Minho had to take a few moments to accept it, that he would now have to wait to see him again.

The stupid smile wont fall,

And on the drive back to his place, Minho let himself sing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? How was getting bombed with fluff for a change? they deserve it! They're so cute together s m h


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The feeling of truly belonging somewhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are going to really love this one!

It was morning when he woke again, but this time he was alone- just him and his three cats, all curled up on the bed fast asleep.

The sounds of the city below him were dim, barely filtering in through the window, and for a long moment he focused on them. He's gotten so used to this noise that he almost forgot every sound had a person behind it, all living their lives.

He blinked slowly, wishing he could rest for a while longer despite knowing he won't be able to fall back asleep now. Today brought so much excitement with it, so much more than just another day.

Today, they meet again.

Minho stretched, feeling a spark of energy pass from the small of his back up to his fingertips. Before he could meet him he needed to visit the station, he had his own classes to sit through as well. The thought of it brought him a wave of discomfort, realizing once again that something had to change.

Could he really keep his internship like this?

How could he look at Jae, Chan, Jeongin? They all walked him through finding all of these corpses, and now he just had to let everything go.

If he found another one, what would he do?

For a moment he let himself hope for a change. What If he just talked to Jisung about it? Maybe they could reach a treaty that way.

Jisung would never hurt Minho on purpose.

He bit his lip, pushing himself to a sitting position and running his hands through his hair messily. He had to find some kind of solution for them, this time he was resolved to do it the hard way.

If he couldn't choose between humanity and Jisung, then he would just have to keep both at the same time, and if he can't do it he better just die.

Taking a shower he calmed himself down, ignoring the dead eyes that followed his movements- they were just illusions, they couldn't hurt him.

That pill he swallowed already, no regrets.

His phone buzzed, signing a message incoming. He pulled up his shorts, sitting back on the bed before checking to see who it was. When he did so he smiled, letting affection wash the discomfort away.

"Good morning!"

Before he could think twice he already pressed call, anxiously waiting for the other's voice to reply.

"Hyung?"

"Good morning to you too."

Jisung's laughter filtered through the call, filling the apartment like sunshine through the clouds, and Minho already felt warmer than before.

"Did you miss me that much?" He asked, and Minho realized how it wasn't even embarrassing anymore- he did. He missed his pretty voice, texts were not enough.

"Is that weird?" He answered with a question of his own, knowing that even if it was he would accept it- Jisung always missed him just as much.

"It's not weird, just… cute. You're cute, Lino."

He wished he could get mad or flirt with him back, but those words got to him worse than they should have.

"I'll be seeing you later, right?" He asked for the thousand time, Jisung rushing to confirm that they will indeed meet in a few hours. The two went on talking, asking stupid questions like "Did you sleep well?" and "Did you have breakfast?"

After a while they remembered their classes, sadly hanging up and finishing their morning routine. How casual it felt, just to talk in the morning- as if they weren't boyfriends for only two days.

On his way to class Minho thought about that too. The two of them met on the 18th of April, so by now they've known each other for a little over two months- it felt so much longer, but that's all it was.

It felt like he's known him for lifetimes already.

It took such a short time to fall for the other, it's clear how he's simply inevitable, a non-detachable part of Minho's life.

.

Entering the station Minho hesitated, already feeling anxious to leave since he planned to meet with Jisung in a short while. He was still undecided on whether to quit, but since he clung to the internship through the toughest parts of coping with his trauma he wasn't willing to give it up now.

"Minho! Exactly the person I wanted to see," Jae greeted, walking over with a smile that could only mean he was happy to see him. "I have a gift for you."

Minho's eyes widened, greeting Jae back politely while holding back his curiosity. After a moment Jae walked over to his desk, opening a wooden cabinet to the side of it and unlocking the metal safe kept inside.

"I picked it up today, it's brand new. I was pretty excited when they told me your license arrived, but I kept it a secret so I could give you both at the same time."

The sight was sobering.

Minho stepped closer, eyes wondering over the black metal that formed his new handgun. The material was smooth, clean and obviously unused- a relief, he realized, considering he wouldn’t feel comfortable carrying it any other way.

"Can I touch it?" He asked, almost scared to do so despite Jae's strong confirmation. "It's yours now."

He picked the gun carefully, making sure all safeties were on the way Jae taught him despite the obvious lack of ammo where it should have been otherwise. He turned it around, fingers brushing over the silver embedded initials of the codename he chose, "LK".

Jae studied him, smile widening with pride. "You had it custom made for me?" Minho asked, feeling torn between endearment and discomfort. He moved to the card next, seeing that it was his license.

"I did. I wanted to give this to you when the others were around to see it, but, I can't hold it in anymore. I was dying to give this to you, since it's been a while…

Welcome to the force, Know."

This time Minho really did start to cry. He felt himself breaking, Jae's arms pulling him in for a hug before he could say anything in reply. He heard the rustle of cups set aside, a second pair of hand wrapping up around himself. "Congratulations, hyung."

"Ah, Jeongin, you were here?" Jae laughed out, releasing Minho from his grip and offering him some tissues to wipe away the tears. "I finally gave it to him, I take it that you like this little surprise?"

Minho nodded wordlessly, dabbing at his red face and swallowing down the words he wanted to say, why did it have to be a gun that made him feel like he belongs?

"I got in while you were working, didn't want to distract you," Jeongin explained, arms finding a place back around Minho, head resting affectionately atop his shoulder. "You guys are so dumb, getting overemotional over a gun- It's not like he needed it, he was already one of us."

Minho bit his lip roughly, setting the gun back on the table to turn and hug the younger back. Thank god for Innie, his presence was a saving grace.

The door to the office opened then. Wonpil pausing at the entrance as he took in the sight of Minho's red eyes. "Jae hyung! What did you do this time?"

"Wonpil hyung," Minho chuckled, watching in amusement Jae's bewildered attempt at defending himself. "Why do you always assume I did something?!"

Wonpil looked like he was ready to argue when he noticed the gun, eyes widening comically. "You gave him his gun?! You didn't wait for me?!"

All three joined Minho this time as he began laughing, squeezing Innie tighter before opening one arm for Wonpil to join the hug. He did so happily, sending a mock glare in Jae's direction. "We will be discussing this later."

Minho broke the hug as he remembered Jisung once again, realizing he might be late for the other's end of class. "I'm actually kind of busy today, uh, I was going to tell you I need to leave early," He confessed, embarrassed.

"Oh? Got any plans? You usually have your schoolwork fitted around the internship. Is it exams?" Jae questioned, pushing back his disappointment.

"Hm? Oh, no, we don't have any exams by mid July," Minho explained, checking the time in his phone nervously.

"Really? Chan must have his early then, he took the week off" Jae informed, Minho snapping back to attention. "He did? I guess senior exams are pretty hard after all. I wonder if he'll stick around here after graduation… Did you talk to him about it? Is he going back to australia?"

The words slipped his mouth before he could rethink them, watching regretfully as Jeongin processed the new information, blinking slowly. "Australia?"

Wonpil sighed, raising a hand to pet his hair. "Chan's family lives in australia, it's been mentioned in his files- we were hoping you two would talk it out yourselves."

Jeongin slacked visibly, face turning startingly blank. "He didn't tell me anything. I guess… he didn't think it was important."

Minho flinched.

"What is it anyway, if it isn't exams?" Jae diverted, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere. All at once Minho flustered again, feeling everyone's eyes settle back on him.

"I might have a date?" He voiced out, earning an endeared smile from his cos. "Is it the guy who looks like Young K?"

"Jisung from the flower shop!" Jeongin added, accusing.

Minho turned to him, bewildered. "How did you know?"

Jeongin only grinned, rolling his eyes back at him. "He talks about you."

Minho tried not to blush even harder at that, butterflies wilding around in his stomach. To Jeongin too? Did Jisung talk about him that much?

"Alright then, I'll let you go for today, but first-" Jae cut his thoughts short, turning around to shuffle with some papers.

"This case is fairly new. I talked with Young K and we agreed that it could suit you- I know you've taken a step back to train for a bit before you take more cases, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. You up for it?"

Minho blinked fast, considering it. On one hand he wanted a break from the pressure, but on the other hand Just the thought made him uneasy. The cases.. he's been neglecting them, hadn't he? Not only does he hang out with Jisung, he turned his back on the resolve he thought he had.

If he won't look for them, those people won't be found- Chelle would be left out on a field, Minra, a trashcan-

No.

…What would Minho do if it was one of Jisung's?

"Can you tell me about it before I decide?" Minho settled, hoping for Jae to solve his dilemma. "I'm not telling you unless you take the case, kid. I'm not going to let the thought haunt you if you say no."

Minho's eyes saddened, knowing he'll have to carry the burden either way. No matter what Jae said, this was weighting on him already.

"I'll take it," He decided eventually, knowing it was the only option for him.

"Are you sure? Don't push yourself, okay? You're making enough good progress as it is," Wonpil tried, realizing that Minho must have felt some moral pressure.

"Yeah, I've been out of commission for too long. Tell me about them? What's their name, age, last seen at…?" Minho reassured, making a distraction.

"Kwan Minsu, a twenty three year old man with some sort of depressive disorder- he was last seen at home by some friends, one of which reported him in after about a week. Maybe you can find a more recent sighting if you ask around, although our team hadn't managed to so far."

Minho took a deep breath, taking in the information. "When was that? Did you look for his phone?"

Jae shrugged lightly. "Four days ago, on june 18th. We couldn't find his phone, it might be turned off, on flight mode or destroyed, or maybe it ran out of power at some point. Nevermind that, take these and go, enjoy your date"

Minho sighed deeply, unsure what he was expecting. On most cases where the person was fine, tracking their phone would put an end to the investigation within 24 hours- so then, after the first day if the phone still hadn't been found, he was probably searching for a body.

He accepted the files, barely noticing Jae move over to the kitchen, Wonpil following close. Deciding he might as well learn at least the dry facts right away, he opened the case briefly, eyes scanning over the information.

"Hey, hyung?" Jeongin mumbled, eyes a little downcast.

"Yeah?" He questioned, listening with half an ear.

"Is it really true?"

Minho turned once again, immediately understanding the question. "I don't know, I hadn't asked; you should talk to Chan hyung yourself. You two need to be able to communicate with each other, there's no point getting together otherwise."

Jeongin pouted, looking thoughtful at least. "Fine."

Minho nodded at him, checking the time before biting his lip and entering his contacts, pressing the call button. It rang for a moment, the line connecting pretty quickly.

"Hyung!" Jisung greeted, smile evident in his voice. Minho melted visibly, Jeongin cringing at the sight.

"Hannie, how was class?" He asked, pointedly ignoring him.

"It was great! Well I mean, no it wasn't, but I'm happy to hear your voice." Jisung replies, sounding a bit sheepish. "Are you almost here already?"

Minho covered his smile with one hand, turning away for some privacy from Jeongin. "About that, I got caught up for a bit at my internship but I'll be there in around twenty minutes, okay? Wait for me?"

"Okay, cool! Don't worry about it" Jisung assured immediately, causing Minho's heart to feel a little bit too full, overflowing. "Can't wait to see you."

"Can't wait to see you too."

He felt Jeongin's eyes on him, turning around and sticking his tongue out.

"Hurry over then!"

"I will, I will."

Minho grinned wide when the line cut, feeling smug at the fact that despite everything wrong with them, at least he and Jisung weren't stuck pinning like Jeongin and Chan.

The younger was obviously jealous of them, and Minho wondered suddenly if Chan was really a cowered or rather the most self-disciplined man in all of Seoul.

He slid the file into his bag, wondering for a moment if he was supposed to carry his gun with him now, and if so, how. Jeongin seemed to know the answer though, opening a cabinet and sliding out a strap-on carrier not unlike Jae's, as well as a small bullet case from the safe.

Minho slid the gun license between the IDs in his wallet, clicking the strap into place and shuffling a little to get used to the new weight on him before turning to grab a cup of water from the kitchen, hoping to thank Jae one more time before going his own way.

As he entered the kitchen he froze, taking in the sight of Jae with his back to the counter, Wonpil leaning far too into his personal space for comfort. When they noticed him the two separated, looking too guilty to be innocent.

Minho stared for a moment, deciding to cut them some slack and pretend he saw nothing. He reached for the water cooler instead, filling a cup and downing it before parting dismissively and making his way outside.

It was a lovely day, anyway.

.

Seeing Jisung from afar had already given him a rush, speeding in his steps and waving at him. Jisung on his end seemed just as excited, nearly running at him only to stop right before they collided.

"Hey," Minho started, out of breath. He could already feel himself smiling so brightly, Jisung sending a huge smile back his way.

"Hey yourself."

"Where do you want to go for today?" He questioned, not really minding wherever he took him. When he was with Jisung, anywhere would be good.

Jisung's eyes lit up at the question, eager to share the idea he thought up. "How about a surprise..? I know a place, but we'll have to take the subway to get there. Is that okay?"

Minho responded with a quick nod, trusting too easily for his own good. He offered his hand out, Jisung taking it wordlessly and intertwining their fingers, palms flush against each other. "I'll lead the way, hope you're in for a walk."

Minho assured him that he was, the two beginning their way towards the nearest subway station. Swinging their hands between them, it was a little clammy but nice nonetheless.

"Was everything alright at the station?" Jisung asked suddenly, Minho turning, almost startled at the sudden question. "Oh, yeah, we're good" He confirmed nervously.

"What was all that about then?" He continued, and it might have passed as innocent if not for Minho's already existing suspicions.

"Ah, I guess… I started working on a new case, they had to brief me on the details," He explained, a half truth countered by the metal gun digging into the side of his ribs.

"You're not allowed to share details about these, right? I'm sorry, I won't ask anymore" Jisung apologized, picking up on the stress evident in Minho's voice.

"It's fine," Minho lied, "It's all just a bit morbid."

Jisung shrugged at that, clasping his hand a bit tighter.

He instructed Minho on which subway line ticket to buy, since unlike him Minho didn't have a chargeable travel card, too used to driving around- and Minho realized they were heading in the direction of Incheon, deep blue line heading towards the sea, on and on over bridges and endless stations.

They stood up half the way, sitting down after people flooded out in one of the bigger stations. They didn't talk much, only looked at each other- sharing the same space, leaning into each other.

"Come on, we get off here," Jisung said eventually, leading Minho out by their hands which never parted. Once back in open air they both took a deep breath, stretching and enjoying the late afternoon sun.

"Where are we?" Minho asked after a beat, recognizing that despite the distant smell of salt in the air, the beach itself was nowhere in sight.

"You'll see," Jisung promised with a smile, and Minho could only cling onto his side, ignoring the dead eyes glaring at his back- they all faded the moment he looked back at him.

Minho felt out of breath for a second, quickly stabilizing himself and following Jisung who was looking at him with curious eyes, deciding not to dig into it.

The two walked down the block, reaching a long staircase leading up a small hill. The started climbing together, Minho holding much better than Jisung who was apparently not in best shape. "It's been a while since I've been here," He admitted.

On top of the hill were a few older buildings, the smell of sweets carrying over from a stand a short distance away. The two made their way there, buying sweet rice cakes to snack on before walking back to the edge of the buildings, where a short stone wall was all that stood between them and the ledge. Jisung climbed over it easily, Minho joining him to sit down and watch the sea in the distance.

"I grew up around here," Jisung confessed, soft voice carrying over the cool breeze. "Not for long, though. My family moved to malaysia."

Minho hummed, eyes sparkling at the information. He looked between him and the sea, taking a big bite of his treat. "It's beautiful."

"I guess, I wanted to show it to you. There's not a lot to see, but" Jisung added, self conscious.

"I'm glad that you did."

Jisung seemed happy at that, smiling through another bite. "I have good memories from here, I would make my way from school right… there," He gestured, finger pointing at a street down below. "My old house was right… there? One of these buildings, I think."

Minho watched him silently, glancing down once in a while. The height wasn't really scary, since it was a steep hill rather than a cliff, and with Jisung's added presence he felt calm spread over him.

"We can see the sea from here, I never appreciated it back then," Jisung confessed, although he was only a kid at the time. He seemed so eager to share this with him, knowing that Minho will listen intently.

The wind kept blowing, not strong enough to bother but cool enough to chill their treats which were warm when they bought them. The breeze swept through Jisung's hair, almost heeding Minho's will as he felt a strong urge to brush it away from Jisung's face. It all felt so light as they sat there quietly, the weight of their burdens carried by the wind.

Sticky fingers finding place on the large stones of the wall- Jisung sucking on the tip of his thumb with his eyes trained on the sea, reflecting the light. He was going to say something, Minho was going to stop him.

"Hey-"

Shut up by a kiss, he leaned back against him sweetly. It was like a puff of air, warmth spreading quick from the very top of his stomach to his shoulders and cheeks, sending goosebumps running down his spine in content. The two made out silently, tasting sugar on their lips.

"Pretty," Minho muttered between kisses, Jisung turning his head slightly to kiss deeper than before.

"Shut up," He tried, embarrassed, his voice was so genuine- just wanting to kiss him more, be as close as possible.

"I wanted to do another thing," Jisung remembered suddenly, bumping their noses together by accident. Minho got flustered at that, drawing back and covering his mouth with one hand.

"Sorry, sorry-" Jisung laughed, causing another wave of warmth to fill Minho's lungs to the brim. He licked his lips, rubbing at his nose before climbing down the short wall and back to the sidewalk.

"So-" Minho coughed, trying to mask his fluster. "What did you want to do?"

Jisung laughed again at his cuteness, the two coming to stand side by side. "I was going to tell you back on the wall before you, um, it's cool though, I liked it."

Minho was going to die of embarrassment.

"Do you remember the art project I needed your help on?" Jisung asked, Minho ignoring the memory of Jisung's sad eyes back on that day before assuring that he did.

"In the end I chose an artist named Goya, you might know him. His most famous works were drawn on the wall of his apartment since that's where he lost his mind- Those were some of his last paintings, and they're all a little scary."

Minho thought deeply at that. "You were looking for someone to look up to, right? Why him? It sounds a bit…" he trailed off.

"Goya was deaf and traumatized by war, his art reflected that. Even though he's not who I aspire to be, I felt like his art really spoke to me somehow… he was sad, like he carried so much on his shoulders it ended up breaking him, he carried it alone."

Minho's heart sank, hoping his love was alright. "You have me."

Jisung smiled at the quiet reassurance, rushing to let Minho know he was just fine. "It's not that I relate to that feeling, but I found it genuine enough to admire. When I heard there was an apartment like that in Incheon I wanted to go and see it right away, but.."

Minho looked at him, confused and relieved at the same time. "An apartment?"

Jisung nodded. "A place like that one, where Goya drew his last paintings on the walls. There was an article about an old man who painted his walls before he died, apparently people thought of it as a bad omen… I wanted to go and see."

It clicked then, and Minho took a moment before asking. "Do you want to go right now?"

Jisung shook his head lightly, smiling as if he already made peace with it. "Apparently the place was bought a few weeks back. The man's kids wanted to get rid of the estate as soon as possible, so before I had a chance to visit someone went ahead and purchased it- it's private property now, we can't trespass."

Oh.

"What do we do then?" Minho asked, feeling a pang of disappointment for Jisung's missed opportunity.

"I had another idea to tackle the same subject, kinda? Let's go, I'll show you what I mean" He replied, and this time Minho hadn't hesitated at all before taking his hand, following wherever he'll take him.

They walked for a while, Jisung doing his best to coax the details about his day out of Minho. Interested in him, asking about classes, how his cats were doing, how Jeongin's doing- learning of what happened today.

"Seriously, those two- they're making everything so hard. What if Chan's not planning to move? He got his degree in south korea for a reason. I know I'm not moving to malaysia after I graduate, assuming this sort of thing without asking…" He ranted.

Minho felt relieved, although he never thought about it before.

"What do you want to do when you graduate?" He asked, curious since he never got to ask a fine arts student about future plans. Was it a touchy subject?

"Eh, I don't know. I like the idea of painting to make a living, but I like it less when I think of selling art. Maybe I'll do commissions, community and private, I need to make a name for myself, then it turns easier."

Minho considered it. "Is that why you post art on tumblr and twitter? To get people to know you exist?"

Jisung stared, missing a step. "Were you stalking me?"

Minho flustered, realizing the two of them have never shared contact details beyond their numbers. "No! uh, It's not like that, I actually knew before I met you, It's how I recognized you the first time," he rushed to explain.

"Oh right, at the art show!" Jisung remembered, smiling wide. "Sorry."

The two of them reached a tight block of buildings, an unkempt side of town where the paint seem to peel off the brick and concrete walls, dark alleys on every turn. Minho felt a bit uneasy, finding courage in Jisung beside him.

They stopped at a small corner shop, the cashier barely sparing them a glance. It seemed Jisung knew what he wanted, skipping the food shelves to search for something else.

"What are we looking for?" Minho asked with concern, watching Jisung's eyes scan over the shelves.

"Spray paint," he replied, refusing to elaborate farther.

"What makes you think this place sells spray paint? And why do we need paint, anyway?" Minho questioned, helping him search regardless.

"I just know they do. Come on, oh! Is that it?" He pointed, excited. Minho looked in said direction, finding a colorful set of cans on a high shelve. Knowing Jisung couldn't reach it, he stretched out and grabbed the first two.

"Red and… teal. Yep, this is it" He confirmed, reading the packaging.

"Great! Let's pay for it then" Jisung replied excitedly, accepting the red can easily. He stopped on his way to the cashier to grab some strawberry milk from the fridge, Minho grabbing a chocolate bar off the nearest shelve.

They each paid for their stuff, unwilling to let the other pay, and exited the shop without any incident. Minho opened his snack first, offering a bite to Jisung.

"Where are we headed, anyway?" He asked, waiting for Jisung to finish his bite before replying.

"Just trust me."

And so far, that never failed him.

The two walked down a few more streets up to a bridge, taking sharp turns until they were far enough from the main road to feel at least a little bit lost. At this point Minho hadn't worried, knew that Jisung wouldn't hurt him- if he did, he still wouldn't regret it.

"Jisung, are you sure you know where we're going?" Minho asked, amused. "Of course I do babe, it should be around here."

The two walked for five more minutes before Jisung exclaimed, looking at Minho with eyes full of joy. "There!"

Minho looked ahead of them, taking in the sight of tall concrete walls covered halfway down in graffiti. It took a moment for all of it to click, realizing what Jisung had in mind.

"Isn't this illegal?"

"Of course not, who do you take me for? I'll save illegal stuff for after the fourth date," Jisung joked, laughing harder at Minho's expression. "Why do you think we walked all the way here? This neighborhood is cool with it, artists go batshit over these walls."

Minho glared lightly, following Jisung anyway. They walked along the colorful street, looking for even one empty spot left- there seemed to be none, so they just kept on walking, taking in the art.

It was when they noticed a small opening, a slight hint of concrete, that both of them stopped. They walked towards the blank spot, high fiving when they realized it was, indeed, clear.

"The art is so beautiful around here, but I wanted to do this with you" Jisung explained, crushing his empty strawberry milk box and pulling the red spray can out of the plastic bag. Minho took his in teal, shaking it lightly.

"How do I use it?" He asked, voice betraying his enthusiasm. "I don't know," Jisung admitted, "I've never done this before. Just looked up online where we can go for it."

They stood close together, reading the instructions on the spray can's package before googling for more instructions online. Feeling satisfied they opened their cans, Minho taking the first step while Jisung hesitated. He sprayed down a line, looking terribly excited.

"God, can you like, stop being cute for a moment? I need to think up what to draw" Jisung complained, Minho laughing happily. "This is pretty cool."

Jisung grinned back at him, writing it down as a major success. As long as Minho had fun, that was all he really wanted.

"Okay, here" Jisung decided, spraying some paint to the side to make sure it wasn't plugged before stepping closer, spraying a big heart in red and watching as the paint bled down.

"Wait, hold it a bit farther from the wall," Minho advised, drawing a smaller heart right inside Jisung's.

"Lee Min-Ho" Jisung teased, writing the syllables one by one on the wall as Minho instructed, resulting in no bleeding this time around. Minho held back from hitting him for being corny, deciding to fight his fire with more fire.

"Han Ji-Sung" He added under it.

Jisung smiled at him brightly, accepting it well.

"I've got to be honest with you, this is not what I had in mind when I thought of trying graffiti together. I thought we would actually be painting, but we only have red and teal."

Minho snorted a laughter, taking hold of his hand. "This reminds me of the thing kids do with their crushes, carving their initials on trees."

Pretty much.

"Let's try drawing a flower?" Jisung offered, and they did.

They went a bit wild, covering every spot of the unpainted wall with different objects until they couldn't fit in anything else. It got a bit messy, some paint in their hair- a bit on their tshirts, a bit on their shoes, but both of them thought it was fun either way.

The sun began setting as they considered searching for another open spot, so instead they just took a few photos together with their work, savoring the daylight. The warm tones looked so pretty on Jisung's tan face, and Minho kept feeling the need to kiss him, which he almost allowed himself to restrain before remembering they were together, they could.

So they did.

"We should head back," Jisung mumbled against his lips, both paying no mind to the way his hand accidentally smeared purple paint on his cheek as he stroked it with his thumb. The light was dimming by the moment, streetlights turning on at once.

"Dinner first?"

"Like this?" Jisung joked, glancing down at his own outfit. "We'll be taking the subway anyway."

So they let time stretch some more, only parting when they had to, and that night he had no nightmares, only Jisung on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some writers listen to mood music while writing... I... the sims 3 soundtrack and then a 10 hour loop of popcorn, by hot butter


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who said it was over?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Minho finds out how life can always take a turn

In the morning he woke again, recalling the last bits of yesterday night. Sweet kisses, stopping by to eat at an overpriced sushi place and piggybacking Jisung back to the nearest subway station when his feet start hurting from the walk and his stomach felt bloated from the meal-

The sounds of his breathing right over his shoulder,

Holding his hand again on the ride back to seoul,

Driving him home.

Minho closed his eyes, sinking deep into that feeling. He'd ask for him to stay, but he needed to disarm- there was no safe in his apartment for the gun, and he felt like he couldn't leave it open for his taking.

And then there was his contact lens.

Making peace with the fact that he and Jisung are nowhere near the stage of sleeping over even for innocent cuddling, he opened his eyes and reached out for his phone when his hand brushed the cold metal of the ammo pack.

Yeah, definitely not.

He pressed in the password silently, checking to see if there were any new messages that came in since yesterday noon, since he hadn't bothered checking before.

Most of them were from Jisung, sharing their pictures they took on the date- the pictures of their artwork and then some just of Minho when he thought he wasn't looking.

"Why do you need so many pictures of me? I'm right here" He replied, almost embarrassed. He then checked to see his other massages; two from Ryujin asking if he's busy, that he felt bad for ignoring- another from Jeongin of Jae mid-sneeze, and another from Felix that made him freeze at once.

"Call me." The message said. Felix never talked like that.

Minho checked the time, hoping it wasn't too early to call his friend. Quickly deciding that he's too worried to care, he pressed the call option and waited while it rang.

"Hyung?" Felix asked, voice eerily clear considering the time.

"You texted me to call you?" Minho asked, worry clear in his voice. "Is everything okay?"

"I really needed you like, yesterday. Where were you? This is such a mess, hyung, it keeps getting worse, I could really use a friend."

Minho bit his lip, feeling guilt spread over him in waves. "I was out, I… what happened? Do you need me to come over?"

Felix sighed, making Minho feel impossibly worse. What got his friend so down? It didn't suit him well, this sadness.

"First of all, Changbin said I should work out my issues with Hyunjin before we could try anything out. I get it, you know? We kept fighting all in his face, but I just, I feel really bad hyung. I don't have anyone to turn to, Hyunjin's a mess, even Chan's wrapped with finals."

Minho slacked. "I'm so sorry."

"And then, even though I feel really bad too, I just go on and try to cheer up Hyunjin anyway. I feel like I'm cleaning up your mess, I have feelings too you know?"

He did know, but he had nothing to say in his defense. "How can I help?"

Felix sighed again, sounding drained. "You can't, you just- you can't. I just really needed you to support me at least, but then you weren't there, and now everything got even worse. I don't have any idea how to fix it, and you for sure can't fix it, so-"

What was he saying? "What happened?"

"We hooked up."

That only served to confuse Minho farther. "Who?" He questioned softly, trying not to overwhelm his friend.

"Me and Hyunjin."

Oh.

_Oh._

"How did that happen?"

Felix sobbed on his side of the call. "Don't get mad, I- I got really lonely, you just, I tried to reach you but you didn't text back, he was the only one who texted back."

Minho wanted to hug him so bad.

"It's okay, Lix it's okay, I'm not mad, I'm sorry I didn't see your text, I'm a bad friend" Minho comforted, cursing the fact he was in no state to just drive over, but maybe it didn't matter. Maybe in times like these even a pair of boxers and a t-shirt were good enough to go comfort a friend in need.

"My fucking ass hurts, he was crying the whole time-- I feel like shit, I just, I can't believe I let myself be used as a fucking rebound from you, I feel so cheap" Felix continued, sobbing harder.

"That's not true Lix, You're not cheap at all. You're just sad right now so you're spiraling, those things happen, it'll be okay."

"Easy for you to say-"

"Hey, you know things will be okay, you know it. Just because something like that happened, it doesn't say anything about your worth. This is my fault, okay? I should have been there and I wasn't, both for Hyunjin and you" Minho insisted, recognizing that it was a shitty apology that couldn’t even begin to make up for the damage he's caused.

"I just want to feel loved."

"I know."

The sound of pitiful sniffles filed the silence, Minho thinking hard of how to redeem it.

"I'll talk to Jisung about Changbin, okay? We're going to fix this, even if I have to come over and talk to Hyunjin myself" He stated decisively.

"No don't come, leave him alone. I told him that you know now so he would probably rather die, give him space," Felix cut briefly, before he could expand more on that thought.

"Okay, then I won't. Do you need me to pick you up from there?" Minho tried, careful with his words.

"I'm fine, I'm just scared. What if I can't make up with him now? I took advantage of him too, he's doing even worse than I am."

Minho breathed deeply, tugging on a strand of hair. Hyunjin wasn't one for space, he needed his friends when he's down. "Do we know his other friends on campus? Younghoon?"

Felix made a strangled sound, signing that he's already tried that path. "We can't just drop this on his other friends! Sure he said he'll be there for him, Bomin did too, but Hyunjin didn't even try to contact them about it- they're not us, you know? We're best friends."

"I don't know what else to do, you just told me not to talk to him," Minho pointed, sharing his frustration.

"We fucked up really bad. I think I'll just have to suck it up and make up with him somehow, even though that's the last thing I want to do. You so owe me hyung, more than a few buckets of ice cream."

By that, he was relieved. "How about a factory?"

"I'll consider it" Felix replied, sounding a tad bit more composed than before. "I hate this. I hate that it's my fault too, now. You know I don't like fighting, I'm sick of it, so tired."

"I know, I'm so grateful to have you in my life."

"You sap" Felix chuckled breathlessly, and Minho realized that maybe the reason why his friend sounded so wide awake at first was that he hadn't slept at all.

"Where are you now?"

Felix hesitated, raising Minho's guard back up. "I'm with Eric, he lives closer to Hyunjin than I do so after last night… nothing happened, I don't know if you believe me, he just let me crash here. I didn't want to be alone either, but you still… I was going to call you, but you didn't even see the text, thought you were out on some job."

Minho swallowed. "Can I make it up to you?"

"You can try."

A moment passed. "...Really who am I kidding, I can't be mad at you. I'm so stupid, at least I tried."

Minho laughed for real at the comment, knowing his friend had a heart of gold. "Love you Lixu."

"Love you too, I better head back to my dorm if you don't mind."

"Get back safe!" He parted, feeling terribly endeared.

"Don't jinx it."

And just like that the conversation was over.

God, it was too early for that kind of talk.

Minho exited the contact, seeing he had a new message.

"Just because you see the moon every night, it doesn't make it any less beautiful."

.

"Hyung?"

Minho raised his eyes from the files, looking to Jeongin with a curious expression. "Can we talk?"

The older piled his papers into place, following the younger into the kitchen where they had some privacy.

"Is everything alright?" Minho asked, resolved to be more responsive to his friends needs after the morning's talk with Felix.

"I'm fine, but well… first, is Hyunjin hyung okay?"

The question made Minho pause, recalling that Jeongin was there when his friends fought, although he only witnessed the tip of the iceberg that was their fight in between everything else.

"Why are you asking?" He replied, avoiding the question. Jeongin shifted in place, looking uncomfortable approaching the topic.

"…He called me this morning, so I thought… I mean, he never did before, but suddenly he did call and asked me out for ice cream. He sounded really sad, just thought that you should know."

Minho held back a gasp, eyebrows raising at the idea that Hyunjin would turn to him of all people, although he knew he should be happy rather than question it.

"What did you say?" He asked eventually, realizing that it really might be a good thing if they hung out since Hyunjin clearly both needed and wanted his company.

"I said no" Jeongin replied, putting an end to that dream. "I have things I want to do, about that… wait, should I have said yes?"

Minho swallowed his words, unwilling to drag Jeongin deeper into their mess. "No it's fine, we've got this. Thank you for telling me."

Jeongin seemed like he had something to say still, driving Minho to press just a little. "Anything else?"

The younger flustered slightly, taking a breath before speaking his mind. "I'm going to do it."

That definitely caught Minho's interest. "Do what?"

"Chan, I'm going to tell him how I feel. I know he knows already but I can't just let him leave like this- I have too much to say to him, I can't do it on the phone but I don't know his address."

Minho cooed quietly, raising a hand to pet his hair. "I am so proud of you. Good luck with him, that knucklehead."

Jeongin pouted at him, dissatisfied. "You don't have it then? I was counting on you, hyung."

Minho chuckled, full to the brim with affection. "Just go ask Wonpil hyung or Jae hyung or Dowoon hyung or even Jimin noona, anyone with actual authority in this place."

"That seems so unprofessional," Jeongin whined, reluctantly following Minho as he walked out of the kitchen, making a beeline towards Jae's desk.

"Hyung, do you have any idea where Chan's files said he lives?" Minho asked, straightforward as ever. Jae stared back unflinchingly.

"Those are confidential details about our volunteering work force you're asking me to hand out without providing a good reason."

Minho smirked, aware of Jeongin's growing fluster at the exchange. "It's happening, speak now or forever hold your peace about those twenty dollars you'll owe Dowoon hyung if they don't make it."

Jae blinked slowly, holding his stare for a moment before stating Chan's address plain for Minho to jot down. From behind him Jeongin squeaked, disbelieving how fast the older was willing to surrender said information. Jae turned to him slowly.

"What, did you really think I wouldn't give it to you if you asked? We're all rooting for you, go get him tiger."

Jeongin whined, covering his face with both hands. "You bet on me?"

"Well," Jae defended, seeming at least a little sorry about it. "Chan was there when we set the bet, Dowoon felt bad. Otherwise we were all on the same side about this."

"That wasn't very nice of you, actually" Minho pointed, still grinning wide.

"All I said was that I bet by the end of the year they'll get together, I didn't expect anyone to take me up on it!"

"Chan hyung was seriously waiting, we left him dry there. Literally nobody had faith in him but Dowoon hyung, not even he did really."

"That sounds like a Chan problem."

"Guys stop—" Jeongin begged, looking seriously uncomfortable. "I didn't know he was so against it, maybe I shouldn't."

Minho turned to him fully, realizing they've gone and done it again. "Come on, don't take it that way. No matter what he says, it's clear he has feelings for you too- anyone could tell. He's just being stubborn, you know that-"

"I know," Jeongin cut him off, seeming so deeply upset in a way that caught Minho off guard. "He told me. It's not about feelings with him though, is it?"

To that they had no answer, acknowledging the fact that if it was just about feelings, Chan would have succumbed a good while ago. His reasoning held a lot more depth to it, stemming from his own insecurities that Jeongin had nothing to do with at all.

"I still want to try" he added, breaking the silence that his last comment created. "I don't want him to leave."

The three shared another silence, Jeongin quickly escaping into the kitchen away from their pitying eyes. He didn't need that, he knew his own worth, but what good was knowing that he deserved better?

He wanted Chan.

.

Minho read over his papers, lips forming out the words with no sounds as he tried to memorize the details. After calming down from the ordeal with Jeongin he fell back into the most useful distraction he knew, which was investigating.

Kwan Minsu, a guy Chan's age. He was heavily depressed, last seen on june 11th, twelve days ago… Minho wondered if he could gather a more recent sighting. What could he do to find this man? Firstly look into his friends, question them about his hangouts and such, although it seemed he was one to stay at home.

Maybe he mentioned a favored way to die, then they would know where to look for his body.

Minho shivered lightly, hating the morbid storm of thoughts clouding his mind. He quickly attempted to come up with another task to do after questioning his friends. Get a recent sighting, yes, and then?

Maybe check social media.

Ask about his family!

Try to look around his apartment block.

Figure out if he attended university, if he had an interest in art and if he knew Jisung or Seungmin in any way.

He didn't like what the thought was suggesting.

Deciding he's had enough he stood up, waving Jae goodbye before letting his legs carry him to where his heart was. Soon enough he stood in front of the shop, his path there memorized from just one trip with Jeongin.

He entered it quietly, clearing a path between the different vines whose growth was overflowing out of their hanging pots and down to the ground below. Shuffling aside some blinds and fishing nets, he finally recognized the path to the main desk.

Following it, he found who he was looking for.

Jisung's eyes brightened the moment he stepped into the room, filling with joy as if he was welcomed there, wanted, and all of a sudden Minho was overwhelmed with happiness too. Being near Jisung just had that affect.

"Hyung! What are you doing here?" He asked, and Minho had to consciously hold back a pout at being addressed with a 'hyung' when they were dating. It's true that yesterday Jisung used baby and two days ago it was Lino, not hyung, but that didn’t mean he would use it today. They never talked about it, either.

"Hannie! Hello. I was thinking maybe I could study here for a while, if you're okay with it?" he added, hoping he wasn't being overbearing. "I know we just met yesterday, but it was already not a very good day, I just want to spend more time with you."

"That's fine," Jisung responded breathlessly, looking over the moon with pride at the simple fact Minho of all people wanted to see him again so soon. It was very reassuring, Minho liked him just as he did.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked, watching as Minho sat down on the ground near the wall, pulling out his laptop from his bag.

"I think I should," Minho realized, setting everything aside at once before pulling his knees to himself. "About Hyunjin, at least."

"What about Hyunjin? How is he doing? He lets my calls fall through, but I guess that makes sense after everything."

Minho looked up, startled at the idea that Jisung tried to contact Hyunjin too, unaware. "The truth is, that day, Felix and I were out looking for him, and Felix confronted me about something, it made me realize."

Jisung hummed, looking intrigued.

"It was worse than we thought, because, it turned out he had feelings for me too, for a while."

The two fell into silence, cut only a few moments later after Jisung fully processed his words.

"How long is a while? When did he stop?" 

Minho winced, feeling the truth like a thorn in his side. Would Jisung get mad? He couldn't hide it, now. "Felix said two years, up until… I don't know when."

Jisung sighed.

"I should be more surprised."

The quick reply left Minho in slight shock, staring at him with wide eyes at the implications. "Why aren't you? I was!"

Jisung simply shook his head, crossing his hands over his stomach. "He has very good taste in men, you know? Really, he was always so sensitive about you, adoring you, back when we met I thought you were together."

It seemed that the constant attacks never stopped, leaving Minho speechless again.

"It was never like that, Hannie I promise, I never felt this connection with him," he blurted eventually, gesturing between the two of them. "I'm just worried about him because he's my friend."

Jisung pouted lightly, eyes softening. "I know, okay? I know, I'm actually relieved, I thought he was serious about me."

Oh no.

"Hey, he was, me too, I am! I'm serious about you, don't look at other people."

"Please, it's very mutual. I had no interest in him either, it was always you from the moment we first met."

Okay.

"This is weird, I can’t believe I felt jealous just now. Does that make us even? Getting jealous because of the same guy?"

"I think it does."

The exchange left both feeling finally lighter, assured that this changed nothing between them. There was still more to talk about though, and Minho had to hope Jisung will take it all with stride.

"He knows I know, so he probably wants to avoid me now. I tried leaving him to Felix, but after the fight, they, right- Jisung, did you talk to Changbin? How is he feeling?"

Jisung made an odd face, trying to adjust to the change of subject. "A little off, actually. He told me about Felix, you know, Binnie hyung's not good with conflict. He looks all tough but he's sensitive, so even though we all know Felix isn't like that…"

Minho sighed. "Do you think there's a chance? It was just bad timing, Felix usually never gets into fights with anyone. He's really down right now, he likes him a lot and he's already trying to comfort Hyunjin on his own."

Jisung hummed. "I think, I do like how they are together, but in the end it's up to them. It's not like Innie and Chan hyung, they don't need our intervention."

"I hope they'll be okay," Minho concluded, a bit exhausted. "I hate seeing Felix down."

"I hope so too. I'll try to help, I know Felix. He's an angel, hyung would have to be blind not to reproach his feelings."

Minho thanked him quietly, Jisung blinking at him before finally deciding to abandon his position behind the front desk, joining Minho against the wall. He wasted no time curling up to him, feeling as if he would die if he didn't. "This conversation feels so tense, I can't do it. I know I asked but I really don't like seeing you upset, just stop it."

Minho smiled lightly, drawing his love closer. "At least I have you, don't I? I can't really be sad like this."

Jisung smiled back, feeling affection in his bones. "We can do all the couple-y things that you'd like, as long as I get to see those front teeth."

Minho rolled his eyes, pushing back some self consciousness. "Even kissing in the rain?"

"Even kissing in the rain. Do you have more plans today? My shift ends in forty minutes" the question made him happy, thinking they could stay together.

"No plans. Want to go out? I had an idea where we could go."

"Really? Then I can’t let you down, you already followed my ideas twice" Jisung reasoned, smiling brightly in a way that got Minho's heart racing faster. "Is it somewhere near? Or do we have to go by train?"

Minho breathed through his nose, trying to get those butterflies under control to avoid stuttering when he replied. "It's on campus, have my car parked nearby, I can drive there."

"Okay," Jisung hummed, rubbing his nose into Minho's shoulder before standing up again, rolling his shoulders. "I will stop bothering you then, gotta feed the babies first if I want to close the shop. You study here like you said."

Minho sighed, watching Jisung run about the greenhouse for a moment before pulling his laptop back up on his thighs, resuming his work on an essay he's got due in a week. Despite spending so long on investigations his grades never fell, only because he worked so hard to keep them steady, and hell if he was going to let them drop now.

Before he knew it a flower found place in front of him, shyly peeking over his laptop. "Baby, come on, shift's over already."

Minho smiled, raising his eyes to the dreamy boy looking back down at him. Jisung was always so pretty, what's new, but from Min's spot on the ground with light filtering down it almost seemed like he was glowing, an angel.

An angel who loved him.

Minho exhaled, finding it almost infuriating how Jisung looked at him so lovingly when he was so clearly out of his league, too good for him. Minho's been breaking his heart over and over, and yet here he was, doe eyes only for him.

He rushed to fold his things in his bag, accepting Jisung's hand which quickly pulled him to his feet, a little dizzy. He kept his hand firmly in his, sliding his fingers between Jisung's like they were meant to fit that way. "Let's go."

The drive to campus had been a lot of fun, the two of them jamming out to the radio. It wasn't a very wild song to duet, a calm one instead, most of Lauv's song were- And Minho thought, he liked himself better, truly, any time Jisung was there by his side.

.

"Baby,"

Minho turned slightly, looking to Jisung with curious eyes. He realized by now how his names would keep changing, depending on how Jisung felt at the moment.

Baby was the affectionate name.

"I realized, I don't really know where you're taking me, but even just walking through the gardens on campus is fun when you're here. I was always on my phone or in a rush passing through, I never noticed how pretty this place is- It's like you're magic or something, I swear."

Minho flustered, certain he hadn't done anything to deserve it. "That's not good Ji, If you don't look where you're going you might walk into a pole."

Jisung pouted. "You don't have to get all snappy, just tell me you're happy when you're with me too."

"I'm happiest when I'm with you" He admitted.

"That's- hey!" Jisung called, now flustered as well. "What?"

"Nothing," He muttered, not really upset. He took a long moment to gather himself, but when he looked up and met Minho's eyes again, pupils blown wide, their hands still slotted together- suddenly breathing turned harder to do.

"How, uh-" He tried, wanting desperately to kiss him. "On a scale of one to ten, how spontaneous are you?"

Minho's face turned confused, failing to notice the faint sound of water. "I don't really care as long as you're with me."

"Close your eyes."

Minho did so without question, feeling Jisung slide his bag down and over his shoulder to rest it against a bench. He pulled on his hand then, and soon enough the two were hit by a thousand water droplets, soaking through their tshirts.

"What the- hey!" Minho protested, opening his eyes for a moment only for Jisung to cover them with his hands instead. "Stop it, don't look! You'll ruin the illusion!"

"What are you talking about?" Minho asked, exasperated.

"You said you wanted to kiss in the rain." And so, Jisung dragged him right under the sprinklers.

Crazy bastard.

"Go ahead, then, Ji, I'm waiting."

He failed to fight a smile, feeling so horribly endeared despite his clothes slowly soaking through, sticking down to his skin. He kept his eyes shut tight, feeling Jisung's hands move to cup his face instead.

Warm, a strong contrast to the cold water showering them. It took him a moment to do it, the two were already acting crazy in public and this only served to alienate them farther, a couple of students throwing comments from the sidewalk.

He didn't care.

Kissing Jisung was always fantastic, getting kissed by Jisung was so much better. Soft lips against his own, pressing into him with so much affection he almost got overwhelmed. Resting his hands against his hips, wet cotton cold against his hands but his face burning hot, hot, hotter, making his head swim at the feeling.

For Jisung, it was all he ever wished to do.

Goosebumps ran down his spine as he kissed him like he wanted, feeling a little shy but then he noticed Minho melt against him, and all thoughts were pushed aside. His boyfriend was so beautiful, he was so lucky, he knew- Since he has chosen Minho and Minho chose him back.

When they parted they stayed close together, sharing warmth beneath the small rainbow made by the sprinklers. Both took a moment to gather themselves back up, Minho dragging Jisung out of the range of water as soon as he realized he might catch a cold if they stayed.

Stupid, romantic boyfriend.

Jisung sneezed, rubbing his nose with one hand before smiling dumbly at Minho, both drenched in water from their little facade.

"You're going to get sick," Minho mumbled, searching with his eyes for a sunny spot to dry. He couldn't even scold him well, since he liked it too much to complain.

"I don't mind getting sick if it means you'll take care of me," Jisung flirted, leaning into Minho's space again for another peck despite only kissing him moments ago. "Who said I'll nurse you?"

"My guts say you will, you can't deny me anything."

Which, was probably true, although Minho wouldn't admit it.

"This was your idea anyway," Jisung added for good measure, sniffling a little and stretching his hands out in hopes of drying faster. "It really wasn't and you know it," Minho threw back, unphased.

He pushed his hair out of his eyes, fingers lightly ruffling the strands to shake out the water droplets before stroking it away from his forehead, still feeling too cold for comfort. His clothes have soaked through, clinging to his body in a way that restricted his movements- and if it wasn't for Jisung's eyes glued to his actions, he surely would have gotten annoyed pretty fast.

As it was he only laughed, blowing a kiss at his boyfriend to drag him out of his daze. It was nice to be admired, He never knew it could be so empowering.

Jisung flustered then, realizing he was staring so openly and suddenly conscious of the strangers looking at them, as if they were both crazy. Maybe he went too far with this madness.

"Any idea how to dry ourselves faster? Other than just sit here, I guess. I still want to go to that place I mentioned," Minho pointed.

Oh, right.

"I think you look perfectly fine like this," Jisung protested, pouting visibly to make Minho laugh. "I guess that's a no, let the sun do its thing."

A moment passed before Jisung spoke again, pointing at the lump sticking under Minho's shirt- the gun, now better outlined by his form fitted wet shirt.

"What's that?"

Minho took a sharp breath, moving to keep the gun from Jisung's sight. "It's for work, don't worry about it" He answered.

"It's really a gun then? That's so cool! Can I see?" Jisung's voice bubbled through, making Minho flinch when he reached out.

"I don't like to talk about it," he shot down, tone final and clear.

"Why? It's so cool, how come you never told me?" Jisung pushed on, unaware of how touchy Minho was about the topic with him.

"It's not something to brag about," he replied.

"It's really impressive, you're just being humble. You could be a main actor in an action movie like this, acting all sexy with your gun, like john wick."

Minho just stared, blinking twice before snorting. "Seriously?"

"Sure!" Jisung insisted, smiling brightly.

"To each their own, I guess" Minho decided, feeling slightly lighter than he did before.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jisung defended, now pouting- gosh, the boy's an emotional rainbow.

"You're a weirdo, and I love you," Minho's voice softened. "It's not actually that impressive, though."

"I'm sure it is!"

Once half dry the two of them resumed their walk along the campus gardens, and Minho could already taste the ice cream on his tongue. The place he's taking Jisung was a place he went to often, except this time he didn't have the dancers by his side.

As they reached the ice cream shop he hoped he was just seeing things- he went here with his friends so often, so maybe just, his schizophrenia-

But then Jisung saw him too, right through the glass panes- sitting, eating ice cream with red eyes was no other then their friend.

"Hyunjin." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hyunjin was into everyone once" Okay sorry, everyone except Chan, and some more than others.  
> Go ahead and yell. I feast upon thy tears


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everything will turn out alright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A halloween update!!

_So if it all ends,_

_I promise,_

_That one day, we could be future friends_

_And if we let go tomorrow,_

_Just know,_

_We could be future friends_

_We could be future friends_

_\- Future Friends /Superfruit_

.

"Minho."

Jisung's voice snapped Minho out of the trans he was in, the younger looking uncharacteristically worried- spotting Hyunjin out while in the middle of a date was not something either of them was happy about.

"Let's go back," Minho decided, knowing that Hyunjin would want none of their help or comfort, and that seeing them together could make things even worse than they already were. He was met with unexpected resistance in the form of a firm tug on his hand, looking up with eyes full of confusion.

"Wait,"

Jisung directed a strong look at his boyfriend, having decided another thing on his own. Minho liked taking time off to cool down, Jisung solved things differently.

"What?"

Jisung swallowed visibly, eyes darting everywhere on Minho's face. The other looked so genuinely lost, as if he never considered a different approach. He probably did, but then not seriously, and maybe for him it was better that way. Jisung, however…

"We need to talk to him, this is our chance."

Jisung watched as Minho's expression changed from confusion to bewilderment, as if his boyfriend grew another head.

"If we tried calling him he probably wouldn't answer, and we can't just show up knocking at his door, so... Hey, the worst that could happen is if we don’t make up."

Minho seemed to reject that reasoning, the idea of bothering Hyunjin right now was making him sick to his stomach. "We'd only make it worse."

But Jisung was willing to take that risk, too. "I need to know that I've done my best, even if I don't like it. I don't like it, just to be clear."

Minho looked terrified at the claim. "Don’t," he mumbled.

"I'm going to, I'm sorry. You're going to have to let me do this."

Something seemed to switch in Minho then, as if he's been waiting for Jisung to say those exact words in a different context. Jisung just hoped he was important enough, that Minho wouldn't try to fight him on it.

"You have to?" He asked, voice small and upset, and Jisung almost wanted to say no, to take it all back and tell him that he would only ever do what makes Minho happy, but he knew that not making up with Hyunjin was going to weight on them both anyway.

"I want to" He said instead.

Minho averted his eyes, snapping back up to look at Jisung once he felt his hand slip out of his own, the other sending him one last apologetic glance before making his way to the ice cream shop.

Honestly, Jisung wasn't even sure what to say. He knew Hyunjin was hurt, sad and angry about all of it, but so was he. Hyunjin did hide his feelings for Minho from Jisung too, so some of it had to be his fault as well.

He wasn't trying to be an asshole. Jisung was always nice, but he had his eyes set on Minho from the start- nothing about it was subtle, he would think Hyunjin would figure it out but he didn't, had his way of missing all the subtext.

Thinking back, it hurt to know Hyunjin used him in every way- a rebound, a way to make Minho jealous- and then played victim when Jisung finally got to be happy. You know, feeling bad doesn't make you a saint- Jisung could have taken it to heart, but he kept quiet.

He never lied, never hid his feelings either, unlike Hyunjin who kept secrets from them both.

The thoughts swirled around his head by the time he reached the table, making him a bit too upset for small talk, so he skipped it.

Oh, how to approach?

"You!"

Hyunjin raised his eyes at the call, red tinge visible as they widened at the sight of Jisung across from his ice cream. He seemed to catch on quickly, flushing red at being cornered so suddenly.

He stuttered for a moment, fluster turning him defensive as if he was back in highschool, underaged, and his parents have just caught him drinking for the first time.

"What?!"

"You're so-- horrible!" Jisung accused, realizing it wasn't what he was there to say at all, but maybe shoving his foot in his mouth was the ice breaker they really needed.

Hyunjin seemed speechless at that, turning even redder before finding it in himself to reply. "Well to hell with you too!"

Jisung started reddening too, turning madder the farther on they went. "You're so annoying, look at you!"

Hyunjin seemed lost at the sudden attack, failing to understand why he deserved the treatment. Jisung should be sorry, he shouldn't yell at him. "What did I ever do to you?" He threw back.

"You're so fucking rude! You and I are the same, we both like the same guy," Jisung clarified, speaking over Hyunjin as he tried to respond, "-But you can't be happy for me? You don’t bother answering my calls or texts-- you know if it was the other way around, I wouldn't have been such a little bitch about it."

The words seemed to hit hard, earning a highly emotional response. "Oh my god, are you picking a fight? Can't you take a hint, of course I'm not happy for you! You really hurt me, I was finally trying to move on and you just had to, I don't know, it was so out of the blue! You were leading me on!"

Jisung stepped closer. Poking an accusing finger at Hyunjin's chest. "Don't act like it's all my doing, you did the same to me! From the moment we met I was trying to hit on him and you were hitting on me, I was nothing but friendly towards you, you don't get to play dumb."

Hyunjin glared, a look which mostly consisted of him squinting his eyes hard in a semi-threatening way. "I was really trying to get over him for once, nice to know my feelings are a joke to you. I didn't pin you down as such an asshole, Han Jisung."

"If anyone's treating anyone as a joke it's you! You think you can just play with people like that?-

-What if I'm not down for being a rebound? What if I love somebody else? Wild right? Infuriating even, how dare I have feelings for someone who's not you? And then worse, it's Minho, someone you think belongs to you even though you were flirting with somebody else!"

Hyunjin choked up. "You know it's not that! I never thought you guys belong to me, this has nothing to do with it. Can't I be miserable in peace? I loved him for way longer than you did, my feelings are valid, fuck you."

"You never even told him- You can't call dibs if you didn't do anything after all that time. I had to try really hard to convince him because he was so scared to hurt you, but I kept trying because Minho is worth it!-

He turned me down so many times, I went through this shit so many times, then you got your heart broken once, you didn't even try your best- yet you're making it everyone else's problem, now!"

"I did my best! You don't know what it's like, I knew he didn't like me like that- Why would I confess? Sometimes I feel like nobody will ever love me, you just proved it to me, both of you. I'm allowed to feel like shit about it!"

Jisung's frown deepened, unhappy with Hyunjin's claim. "You can't just blow things out of proportion like that, god, you're so spoiled, you can't take things not going your way without getting super over-emotional! I can't believe you're blaming us for your ridiculous self depreciating crap, we both know it's bullshit, everyone loves you."

Hyunjin made a strangled sound, tears pouring freely from his eyes at this point, flowing and dripping down from his chin. He relented eventually, casting his eyes to the table. "What are you even saying?-- I don't blame you, crap," He mumbled, words slurred so badly Jisung could hardly make them out.

"What?"

"I don't blame you," Hyunjin repeated, clearing his voice. "I think at least, if it's not me for him, it's okay that it's you because I liked you too and I get it, good for him. Same goes for you obviously, Minho's the best. I'm nothing compared to him, I can’t blame you."

Jisung's lip trembled, stepping around the table to reply. "That's not true, just because we like each other it doesn't mean you're not as good or important or worthy, sometimes things just don't work out, you know we appreciate you. I'm so fucking jealous of you sometimes, I wish I had that level of charm, look at me- all dumb, I can't even talk right."

Hyunjin blinked hard through his tears, taking a big bite of his ice cream before bringing his eyes back to Jisung, sucking on his spoon quietly.

"Romance isn't everything, you shouldn't tell yourself that just because this person didn't fall head over heels for you it means you're not as important to them, you know we care about you so much, we were really worried and didn't know what to do."

Hyunjin seemed to accept his apology, standing up abruptly to pull Jisung in for a hug. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do you asshole, I can't even enjoy my time with hyung knowing you're like this. Such a drama queen, always gotta be the center of attention."

Despite the harsh insults Hyunjin chuckled, feeling Jisung wrap his arms around him too. "I'm not sorry, I sent at least a million curses your way every day. I feel kinda bad about it now though, I'm so jealous but you're my friend, I shouldn't curse you."

Jisung rolled his eyes, tightening the hug. "I'm sorry I hid things from you, and that I hurt you."

"I'm sorry I hurt you too, sorry made you worry and like, generally, sorry that I suck" Hyunjin replied, voice a little slurred still.

"You ready to have the same heart to heart with Minho hyung?"

Hyunjin broke the hug at the offer, looking nauseous at the idea. "I don't think I can look at him right now, it's too soon" He admitted, earning a sigh.

"At least if you're down, know that you can call me. Cool?"

"Cool," Hyunjin agreed, meeting him in a fist bump.

From a distance Minho calmed, watching the two make up at last.

.

After the fight Jisung bought them some ice cream, and although Minho thought Hyunjin saw him the other hadn't said a word about it. Even as the youngest stepped outside with cones for two, Hyunjin hadn't looked up from his seat.

"It went well?" Minho guessed, accepting his strawberry ice cream from Jisung with some guilt.

"It did. He's not ready to face you, but I think the two of us are cool now" Jisung explained.

"It looked like you were fighting, what happened there?" Minho asked after a moment, the two of them beginning their walk away from the shop, hoping to make the most of what was left of their date.

"It's easier to make up after getting things off your chest. We yelled for a moment and then we were done- the clerk there gave us a weird look, but it's fine."

Minho exhaled, deeply relieved. "I don't know what we'd do without you- god Hannie, I was so worried, I was starting to hope he could rely on Jeongin."

Jisung raised an eyebrow, connecting their free hands together. "Innie? Are they close?"

Minho just shrugged, still looking at Jisung with adoration he didn't feel like he deserved. The shouting match with Hyunjin wasn't a very well thought out plan, and it probably only worked because it was the two of them- Hyunjin and Jisung were always like that.

"I guess he could really use more friends. He and Seungmin are friends too, but Minnie's busy these days, I don't think they hang out" he mumbled, jumping on the opportunity to change the subject.

Minho blinked, processing the information. "Who, Seungmin and Hyunjin?"

Jisung shook his head, correcting him. "Not Hyunjin, Jeonginnie. He's so lonely, you know? They used to go to school together."

Minho's head spun, hit once again by his old suspicion of Seungmin, now fueled by the new information. Seungmin was friends with Innie? Maybe he got his hands on some police photographs, lending them for Jisung to draw in his free time.

Maybe.

Was Jeongin in on it?

"This is really good!" Jisung called suddenly, finally getting a mouthful of his ice cream. It was some cheesecake flavor variety Minho had never picked before, seeing as he had his usual order of strawberry. "Can I try?"

Minho himself wasn't sure what pushed him to ask, maybe it was out of sheer curiosity, maybe he knew Jisung would react the way he did. They younger raised his cone to Minho's mouth, offering him a lick of his ice cream.

It really was pretty good, after all. "Here, wanna try mine?" Minho offered a moment later, still licking his lips where the sweet taste of cheesecake lingered. Jisung seemed excited, accepting and enjoying the flavor.

And just like that, he was at ease again.

They two of them were getting the hang of this dating thing.

But, as always, there is much to talk about.

"Right, baby?" Jisung asked, nose twitching a little at the nickname. Again in an affectionate mood, but also embarrassed about it, Minho figured.

Cute. "Yeah?"

"I'm getting whiplash changing topics so fast but, you're um, it's okay that we're in public like this?" Jisung asked, realizing they never talked about it before.

"You're asking if I'm closeted?" Minho questioned, huffing a short laughter at the idea.

"I guess, kind of, but probably not, right?- what about being, um, uh"

Minho just stared, waiting for him to complete the question. "Forget it."

"No, keep going," he encouraged.

"It's embarrassing," Jisung complained, flustered.

Minho stared patiently, teasing but also searching for any giveaway that he was going too far.

"Okay well, I'm kind of, anxious? So, if you could just.. forget about it, nevermind, please?"

Minho hummed, hands uncrossing to eat some more ice cream, deep in thought. "Okay, let's go somewhere private then."

Jisung rubbed at his neck, startled when he felt Minho pull his hand away to hold, leading him somewhere off the campus road and into the grass patch behind some well groomed bushes.

Satisfied Minho stopped, sitting down on the grass without thinking twice while paying care not to drop his ice cream. Their placing was familiar to Jisung, and as he sat down it hit him exactly why. This was where it happened-

_I don't know, don't- don't court me, or whatever. Be my friend._

Pimples, love letters… He wonders what changed.

"Is this better?" Minho started, taking a big bite of his ice cream as if they weren't trying to have a serious conversation. For the moment, he looked so much like himself, so Minho-ish, god- Jisung really liked him.

"Yeah," Jisung shrugged, knowing he would have to talk about it now. He sort of regretted bringing it up to begin with.

"You like me, right? I mean, you said you're happy to be with me, but that's because you like me, the way I like you."

Minho's face softened, hit once again by how cute Jisung was. He could hit him for being so cringy, if he didn't seem so serious about it.

"I don't want to always talk about it, I want to be casual and confident and not, um, embarrassed, to just know, but it's new so I have all these questions, I never had someone I like like me back and kinda do this sort of thing with me, so, so-"

"Even if it's cheesy, we have to talk about feelings," Minho completed, Jisung looking relieved at being understood.

"What was your question, then?" Minho asked, curiously looking at his boyfriend with what he hoped was a reassuring expression.

"Does anyone know about us? That we're, this?"

The question wasn't unexpected, Minho could tell it was going there anyway. "My family knows," He replied, recalling how his mother was convinced they were together for a long time already. "My coworkers too, but that's about it."

Jisung seemed happy at the answer, hesitating for a moment before asking farther. "How about your friends?"

Minho took another bite of his ice cream, suddenly embarrassed. He doesn't have a lot of friends apart from Hyunjin and Felix, but saying that would make him seem antisocial. Would Jisung care? He probably had hundreds of friends, himself.

"Felix knew I liked you before, too. I don't care about anyone else knowing either. How about you?"

Jisung didn't question it, answering instead as if he knew what was going inside Minho's mind. "My family, Changbin and Seungmin know. I don't have other close friends, I'm not really outgoing."

Minho just nodded, both of them diving into their ice cream to avoid facing the awkward silence.

"Me too," he admitted eventually, and just like that it was settled- complete. They smiled at each other, knowing they were understood.

.

It hadn't been twenty four hours since the last time he's been at the station, Minho realized. As it was he was paying yet another visit anyway, set on collecting some more information on the current case.

"Minho," Jae greeted as he stepped inside, glancing up from a pile of paperwork before fixing his gaze down once again, blond bangs falling back into his eyes. "Wass' good?"

Minho made an ugly face, waiting for Jae to notice before dropping it, satisfied at the older's laughter. It wasn't often that they met in a good mood, since neither of them had those very often lately.

It was nice, either way.

"I have the numbers you asked for, do you want us to call them together?" The older offered, knowing Minho has never done so before. "We can call Dowoon, even. Watch how a real pro does it."

Minho nodded hesitantly, figuring it wouldn't hurt to ask anyway. "Is Chan hyung here? I don't want to bother Dowoon hyung."

Jae shrugged lightly, replying with a softer voice than usual. "Chan is still on break, nothing new since yesterday. I'm sure Dowoonie wouldn't mind it, he's a good teacher- better than me when it comes to these things. Brian too, but he's out right now."

Minho sighed, nodding before turning to look at the office. It seemed almost eerily empty, and he only had to wonder why for a moment before realizing there was no sound from the kitchen area, either.

"Is Jeongin out, too?"

Jae looked up from his work, glasses low on his nose almost as if he was the librarian in the middle of the vacant office. "He texted me yesterday saying that something came up with his parents, he'll be home for a while and won't show up for work."

Minho hummed, considering that. "Do you know if he talked to Chan hyung?" He asked eventually, feeling slightly off about it.

"I actually don't, I didn't ask. Workplace romance in general is a bit off limits, you know- I've been letting them off the hook a lot but Jeongin as part of the workforce shouldn't hit on our volunteers, we'd get in serious trouble if Chan decided to press charges about this."

Minho frowned deeply, almost violated by the idea. "Chan hyung isn't like that, he would never hurt him."

"Sure," Jae agreed, hesitating. "It's really unprofessional, either way. He should know better."

Minho crossed his hands, looking Jae in the eye before saying the first thing on his mind without thinking twice about it. "You're one to talk," he accused, watching Jae's face flash with some sort of mortification before setting back.

"I'm too old to get called out by some college student, mind your own business."

Minho pouted, feeling a bit bad for pushing Jae into a corner when the other hadn't done anything to deserve it. He was only thinking of Jeongin, anyway.

"Whatever you're thinking is probably wrong, your dear officer Kim has a girlfriend, you know."

Minho really did double take this time, staring at Jae with wide eyes. He really did overstep some serious boundaries, then. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it" Jae assured, voice unusually strained. "I'll go get Dowoon."

Minho stayed behind in the office, taking the time to send a quick text to Jeongin asking if he was okay, just in case. He would have assumed Jeongin would tell him if anything happened, seeing as the younger opened up to him about the subject before, but you never know.

His worry grew as he watched the chat expectantly, seeing that his message was sent yet not received.

Was his phone turned off?

He breathed deeply, trying to overcome the small surge of panic that came over him whenever this sort of thing happened, ever since he thought he lost Hyunjin that one time. Jeongin was probably fine, he'll text him back when he sees it.

It wasn't long before Jae came back inside with Dowoon in toe, the three of them taking a seat around the office table. Jae pulled over an old phone for them to use, white and obviously well used over the years as evident by the worn buttons and line.

Dowoon accepted the paper from Jae, looking over some details before speaking to Minho for the first time. "Do you want to start, or do you want to watch first?"

Minho didn't have to think much about it, sheepishly asking for Dowoon to take the first call. He took the paper next, reading over the same details as he did.

Family members of Kwan Minsu:

Empty.

"Hold on, hyung, he has no family?" Minho asked, thrown off by the information.

"He doesn't," Jae confirmed, looking at him sadly. "His parents and sister all died of different things, I didn't dig too much into it. He's been on his own for a while, but I managed to get his phonebook for us to try find someone he was close to anyway."

Minho really wanted to find him.

Co-workers of Kwan Minsu, the next title read. Minho watched with fascination as Dowoon called one after the other, first introducing himself before asking about their relationship with the man in question. The response was always key: if they knew him well, knew anything at all- Dowoon had summoned them in for questioning the next day.

Despite the list consisting of no more than four numbers, all of which gave a very short answer- by the end of things Minho knew a bit more about Minsu. Working in a supermarket, he never got to shifts on time- one coworker guessed he just ditched work for good. Nobody wondered what happened to him, nobody cared that this man disappeared.

Friends of Kwan Minsu were up next.

"I'm not telling you anything." Ruled a guy on the other end of the line, promptly hanging up the call. Jae raised an eyebrow, Dowoon looking just as shocked.

The three tried again, the line never picking up. Jae was ready to call Sungjin when Minho asked him not to, calling through his cell instead.

"Who are you?" The man picked up, Minho taking a deep breath.

"He's missing," He replied, noting the silence the information brought about. "You're another cop, aren't you? What's this talk about Kwan?"

Minho watched the others let out a sigh of relief, replying right away. "He's been missing from his apartment since june 11th, that's nearly two weeks ago."

"Shit," Cursed the man on the other end, sounding genuine. "You sound like a kid. I'm sorry about before, I just really hate cops."

"It's okay," Minho reassured, pushing back his annoyance at the comment. "You wouldn't be down to come for questioning, then?" He guessed.

"No, fuck, no way. We can meet somewhere else if you have to, talk like real people" The man offered, Minho sending Jae a questioning glance before silently pointing at where his gun was safely stocked. Jae frowned lightly, nodding after a moment.

"Alright. How about some coffee? When are you free?" Minho accepted, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible.

"I can meet up right now," The stranger suggested, Minho's eyes widening in surprise. "I'm technically on shift, but uhhh…" He trailed off, Jae's hands ticking nervously before he nodded again. "Sure."

The two set up a meeting, all three cops letting out a sigh of massive relief once the line cut. Jae pat Dowoon's shoulder, claiming they were probably done with calls for today- the rest can be done tomorrow after the questioning.

"I should head out then," Minho realized, standing up and swinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'm joining you," Jae informed, fixing his own gun in place. "As shadow. I'm tailing you two."

Minho would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved, knowing Jae would be right there as well.

"Thanks," He replied, shuffling nervously. He and Jae stepped to the driveway, Minho exiting first after checking his GPS. He made sure Jae was following in his own car before exiting the parking lot, turning to enter the main street.

The drive only took ten minutes, although it was probably longer on foot. Minho had to spend a short while longer looking for parking space, eyeing Jae through the mirror to make sure he knew he should too.

Once parked he exited his car, ruffling his hair a little and staring at his reflection in the window to calm down. That guy was expecting a college student, Minho was one- he had no reason to feel so nervous.

He entered the café, searching with his eyes for a man sitting alone. Since the place was pretty empty, there was only one who matched the description.

Minho pulled out his cell, calling the number only to watch as the man's phone picked up ringing, confirming his suspicion. The stranger looked up, eyes sharp and boring into Minho's.

He felt himself sweating, raising a hand to wave nervously before sliding into the seat in front of the stranger. "Hello."

"You look like you got a whole stick up your ass," the man stated, leaning back in his chair. Minho tried not to take offense, sucking on his bottom lip. "You look like you hadn't showered yet this week."

The man scoffed, taking it with stride. "Appreciate some balls. You were talking about Kwan, that man had none. I hang out with all sorts of people, he was probably the most miserable one."

Minho felt his curiosity peak, leaning forward on the table. "Care to say why?" He asked, debating whether he should pull out his papers and pen.

"Obviously, he lost everything at one point, but he was also really bad at life. Usually with anarchists we live by our own rules, he made up his own rules and failed every single one."

Minho blinked, intrigued. Anarchists?

"Don't look at me like that, you baby. Look at you, you're suited for the honey butter life," The man joked, gesturing vaguely at Minho's everything. "Don't you ever feel the need to do something for yourself?"

Minho hesitated before nodding, deciding to play along. "So what?"

"So do it. It's not that deep, you're going to die anyway."

Minho blinked, processing the response for a moment. His slight smile fell, curious shine disappearing from his eyes. He wasn't about to let a stranger tell him this, he couldn’t share a mindset with a man like that.

"I generally try not to do things that are going to get me in trouble, unless it's something important," He replied, the man nodding as if it was expected. "You never tasted true freedom, it's like that."

Realizing they were getting sidetracked Minho bit his cheek, asking again about the one thing that mattered. "How do you know Kwan?"

The man let out a sigh, waving a waitress over to order himself some dark coffee. Minho did so as well, earning a surprised glance from the other, who later replied. "We're friends."

Minho nodded, raising an eyebrow in a silent request to elaborate. "We've been friends for a long time, I got him into this mindset after his father died. He'd draw a lot of art, it always looked like a complete disaster but I liked it, you know? Art has no rules, only feelings."

Alright.

"He's really mentally unstable, that guy. I'm pretty sure that shit's genetic, but maybe he's fucked up on his own. Wouldn't be a shocker if he killed himself somewhere, but I hope not, he was always pretty good company."

How to even reply?

"I'm sure he liked you too," Minho attempted, the guy grunting lightly at it. "Sure."

Their drinks arrived, Minho taking a long sip of the bitter coffee. The man eyed him curiously, eventually shrugging.

"I'm guessing you're going to look for him, don't. You don't want to know what the guy was into."

Minho coughed lightly, gagging on his drink. "What?"

"Drug rings, I bet. I'm not into that, but poor guy was really depressed with nothing to help him. Better that than therapy, I guess."

Crap.

"So he was into shady business?" Minho worded, upset. The man frowned, glaring at Minho as if the comment personally insulted him. "Shady, shit, you're acting like you've never smoked some. Most people have, I just hate the smell of it myself."

Minho guessed that was probably correct, actually. He's been to a few parties, there were always stoners present.

"I think I'm done here," The man announced suddenly, raising up from his seat without warning. "What?!" Minho asked, startled.

"I see your buddy there, I don't like this sort of thing."

Minho turned around, trying to spot Jae in the café. Although he couldn't the man's frown deepened, looking as if Minho just confirmed his suspicion, that he probably did. "Chiao."

"Wait, I'm not done-" Minho begged, realizing the man was really going to leave just like that.

"Don't bother calling me either, baby cop. It's been nice" The man only replied, pulling his phone out only to throw it right into the trash can outside of the Café's glass doors.

"What the heck..?" Minho mumbled, staring after him. He took a moment to process his leaving, turning back to stare at his coffee, bewildered.

The man hadn't even paid for his own coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here to give you a very important and sad note :(  
> I've been having a bigger workload than usual (I didn't even know that was possible), and I hit a really horrendous writer's block, so I can't write. Because of this, I don't know when next chapter is going to be released...  
> !!!! I'm not going to discontinue, but our long tradition of weekly updates is going to be broken for the next month or so. Afterwards I'm going to pick the weekly updates back up, so definitely look forward to that! I'm always thinking about this fic, I'm going to get back so it asap.  
> I love you guys so much, thank you for all your support <3


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which memories were recalled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!! Guess who finally gathered her cowardly ass and fixed you another chapter?? It me!!  
> Hope you hadn't forgotten about me :')  
> I'll try to fix another one for next week, that one will probably be up on wednesday though.  
> Well, technically where I live it's already wednesday also! it's 1am.  
> haha.  
> Anyway this is an odd chapter, you wouldn't expect it (I hope) but you will like (I HOPE) and maybe it'll move you at least a little bit...? That's my aim.  
> ENJOY! <3

"Alright, so that covers the store- if anyone knows anything else about him here, they're hiding it very well" Jae summarized, turning to Minho. His expression was tense, telling of the fact he too felt off about the case.

"I can't believe we got nothing from all this," Minho added, upset as well. "They were co-workers, how can they not know so many basic things about him?"

"I guess he was a private person," Jae replied, dismissing it despite the bitterness they both felt. "No way of contacting that guy again, right? You said he threw his phone away."

"Sorry," Minho apologized, embarrassed. It had been his fault for forgetting to take the man's name.

"Don't worry about it, it was partially my fault too," the older grimaced, embarrassed as well. Had he been more subtle, the man wouldn't have gotten away.

"Either way, this case feels nasty. I'm sorry but I still need your help seeing it through, I would rather move you to something less… this, but we're a little understaffed with Jeongin gone."

Minho nodded, acknowledging that fact.

"Did you look for a match with any suicide reports?" He asked, not for the first time.

"I should try and see again if there was anyone matching his description, but as of yesterday there were no results. Still under missing status, hopefully that means he's still alive."

Minho took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "He was an artist, too. I wonder if this is going to end up the same as with all the others."

"Why would it?"

'Because of Jisung,' Minho wanted to say, but then decided to keep his mouth shut where it could risk the younger. There was no question at all lately, Jisung's his priority.

_"Don't you ever feel the need to do something for yourself?"_

"Just a feeling," He replied instead, earning a disappointed glance as Jae reprimanded him for saying nonsense without reason. What was wrong with following his instincts, anyway?

Speaking of which.

"Hyung, can I ask you for something?" Minho asked, feeling heavy with the request he was about to make.

"…What is it?" Jae asked, suspicious since he only just finished scolding the younger.

"Will you please take me to Kwan's apartment? I've never been, and I think in this case it's the best place for me to get into his head" He lied, the real reasons being that he wanted to search for more clues- something only he could notice such as references to his university, anything to tie this case together with the others.

-

Minho saw red the moment they entered.

"I didn't want to take you here," Jae apologized, tone tired as if he really was out of his wits. "I'm sorry, I should have at least thrown in a warning."

"You really should have," Minho choked, closing his eyes to block out the many portraits of naked woman thrown about the apartment. "A pervert?"

"Maybe he was just going through his anatomy study phase or, I don't know" Jae sighed, steps echoing as he went down the hallway.

"Only of women?" Minho challenged, "Of… varying ages?"

"There are men too, I think. Yes, four or five we found under his bed" Jae informed, stopping in front of a double bed in one of the rooms before wincing visibly, turning back on his tail.

"There's a couple kissing," Minho pointed, finally courageous enough to open his eyes, although the sights made him nauseous.

The painting was definitely that- a couple kissing under a windowsill, both their faces hidden- although Minho could guess they were both girls by the long hair that framed their faces: a taller redhead and a shorter brunette.

The canvas was signed as "A peek, 4320."

Goosebumps ran down his spine, spreading a sense of dread which couldn't be explained logically. He suddenly knew, this was no suicide.

"This guy, he…" Minho started, swallowing his words, "…nevermind."

Looking around the apartment he couldn't spot any of the signs he feared- nothing to tie this case in with the others.

"Are we done here?" Jae concluded, Minho nodding reluctantly. "I think we are."

Staring out of the passenger window, Minho could only hope for a miracle. This man, Kwan Minsu, just up and disappeared- his apartment just didn't seem like the man died, his fridge had leftovers, unfinished art pieces lying about.

Where did he go? Why was he feeling so morbid?

His phone buzzed, tension easing only slightly when he saw Jisung's name flash on the screen.

"What are you up to today?" The text asked.

Minho considered it, deciding to answer the question honestly.

"Investigating, I'll be out in a few hours."

Three dots appeared as Jisung typed down his reply, Minho glancing at Jae in the meantime.

"Hyung, how old are you?" He questioned, drawing the older's attention.

"Twenty nine this year, why?" Was his reply, Minho humming thoughtfully. "How long have you worked this job?"

Jae thought for a moment, pushing his glasses back with his eyes still focused on the road. "About five years. What's with the questions?"

Minho blinked, considering his answer.

_"It's not that deep, you're going to die anyway."_

But then, with all this regret…

"Have you ever noticed a pattern in the cases? All we've gotten lately were artists, it's odd."

Jae turned his nose, fighting the urge to scold Minho again. "Don't get biased, you've only worked on a handful of cases. Brian and I take more than double the amount you do, so I can assure you non-artists go missing too. Just yesterday we called a search team for an eleven years old, two days missing hiding at her friend's place."

Minho bit his lip lightly, unsure. "But, when it comes to a kid like that, she just ran away. The big cases where people go missing and die, lately…" He trailed off, hoping Jae would understand.

He shouldn't be saying this.

Keeping Jisung's safety in mind Minho shut his mouth tight, believing he's already said too much.

"To answer your question, I did. I was working here with Brian, after all. He's much less skeptical about these kinds of things, says serial killings are bound to happen often in a city as large as seoul, and to stay alert. I think, if there was anything to notice, there would be more similarities than just the victims' hobbies."

Minho sighed quietly, mind uneasy. He checked his messages again, seeing that Jisung sent another.

"Spend some time with me today?"

.

Minho raised his eyes to the shining letters at the entrance, taking a deep breath before searching for Jisung in the slowly gathering crowd.

"Surprise!" Jisung called, clinging onto his back like a koala. As tense as he's been, just being around his boyfriend eased his mind.

He could never hurt Jisung.

"Let's go!" Jisung encouraged, taking his hand and leading the two to sand in line for tickets. The park wasn't packed since it was a weekday, but it was full enough to wait for a while.

"What made you want to go to lotte world?" Minho asked, swinging their hands a little despite the crowd of people sending them looks.

Being gay was the least of his problems.

"We agreed to do all the things couples do, so I thought- I mean, it hadn't been a week, maybe we should save the exciting dates for later, but I don't want to. It feels like, with the time we have, I want to make as many memories as possible."

Minho melted at that, endeared by the way Jisung seemed to be shy despite the fact he was still holding his hand tightly. He felt that he could do just about anything for him.

"I like you."

Jisung flustered, caught off guard by the confession. He took a moment to collect himself, sending Minho a glare. "You just like me? I thought we were past that."

Minho squinted, resolving not to answer so that his boyfriend doesn't spontaneously combust while standing in line. Instead he stepped forward to pay, seeing as it was their turn already.

"Do you like theme parks?" he asked once they were inside, eyeing the large ledge allowing light to shine down to the lower floors, all the way down to the ice skating rink.

"I don't usually go, I guess, I just want to do this with you" Jisung replied, unknowingly eying the same ledge. "Let's, uh… try the calmer attractions, first. Build up to the scarier things" He suggested, Minho nodding immediately.

They wouldn't admit their fears to each other, however.

The two went on to explore the arena, Jisung stopping in place when he spotted the haunted house attraction.

Minho paused, following his gaze and realizing said attraction was for younger kids judging by the children standing in line, although he didn't mind.

Entering the haunted house along with a group of kids, the two of them walked down the path cautiously, taking their time despite the fact Minho wasn't one bit scared- this was only an attraction, out of place in such a cheerful theme park.

Jisung however stayed on edge all throughout, jumping at every new puppet and sound. Minho could only sigh at his boyfriend, keeping his hand held tight in his own and trying not to flinch at the sudden loud noises coming through.

"We made it!" Jisung yelled, as happy as the kids were to put an end to the experience. Minho stared in wonder, slowly opening and closing his hand to relax the muscles after the iron grip they were held with. "Was it that bad? You wanted to go."

Jisung turned around, smile bright as the sun. "I get scared easily, but now I have a tough boyfriend to take with me, so it wasn't that scary!"

Minho tilted his head slightly, silently questioning how a mechanic werewolf could scare his murderous boyfriend to this extent. Well, it was sweet nonetheless.

"I'm good with gore and horror generally, I guess" he accepted, trying not to think too hard about it. It gave him nightmares, but never handicapped him.

"Aish, fearless! Cop boyfriend" Jisung stated, as if it was decided then. "Sorry for yelling so much, and for your hand."

Minho examined him for another minute, unable to read farther than the smile stretched on Jisung's face. What was he playing with, here? When was he going to tell him the truth?

Jisung on his end was staring back at him in question, smile flashing quick before he stepped closer to fix Minho's hair. "There were cobwebs," he explained, distracting Minho for a moment.

"I like that your hair is growing, it looks pretty. Tell me if you're planning to cut it, alright? I just had that heart attack in one of my classes, the professor used to have such long hair, you wouldn't recognize him now-"

"Hannie," Minho started, steadying his voice.

"Hm?" Jisung replied, taking his hand once again.

"Fourth date," Minho elaborated, expectant. "Illegal things go on the fourth date?"

Jisung seemed confused at his question, looking as if he was waiting for an explanation. "This is now, our fourth date. Tell me what you want to do."

Jisung blinked, unsure if he should laugh since Minho seemed too serious all of a sudden. "I was joking, when I said that."

Minho bit his cheek, searching Jisung's face for something that simply wasn't there. "Nevermind."

"Why would you think I was serious? Hey!" Jisung called after Minho already turned away, eyes downcast. "Lino?"

"I just did. I'm sorry, it was stupid of me to think you would actually admit something like that to me, you know, I chose you though."

Jisung pouted, lost. "Would you help me if I wanted to do something illegal?"

"I would," Minho admitted without a second's hesitation.

"That's sweet but, I don't really have anything like that. I wouldn't want you involved anyway, you could get in trouble."

Minho turned to look at him again, figuring everything Jisung said was always a riddle, never putting his mind at ease. "I don't mind, if it's you" he replied, Jisung stepping closer to wrap his arms around his boyfriend.

"I guess you really do love me, after all."

Now was Minho's turn to pout, offended. "What do you mean you guess? I told you I do."

"So you've said. I love you too, you know" Jisung answered easily, hugging him tighter. "That's too much PDA, I think."

"Who cares?"

.

The two kept on switching between attractions, both gracefully avoiding the scarier looking ones in favor of the cringy yet fun games for kids. They picked a few hairbands, trying on different hats and taking pictures together on their phones, snacking on churros and panda express.

The odd exchange was forgotten completely.

It has been a few hours before Jisung brought _that_ up.

"Do you want to go on the cable car ride?" he asked, all innocent despite the nervous undertones in his voice. Minho froze completely, looking up to the ceiling of the park where carts the shape of hot air balloons went around, hanging high above the ground.

He swallowed, returning his gaze to the ground so to not get nauseous. He didn't think he could do it, definitely didn't want to.

"I don't know…" He trailed off, looking at Jisung with hopes he would just get it somehow without having to ask.

"I always wanted to go on this one though! Come on, it might be a bit boring but… I want to try it with you" Jisung encouraged, well aware he could never do it by himself.

Minho swallowed thickly, unsure how to tell Jisung that he was deathly terrified of heights, of all things. After the haunted house adventure the other might have thought he was invincible, but there are different kinds of fears and this was one of Minho's worst.

He glanced at the carts again, taking a shaky breath. Should he just go for it? Jisung wanted to try, it couldn't be that bad with the other beside him.

Jisung on his end was also terrified, counting on the fact Minho was probably braver than he was. Unfortunately, that really wasn't the case, so trusting each other they took the elevator to the highest floor and dragged their feet to stand in the line.

"If- if you don't want to do this, you don't have to, we can go," Jisung decided suddenly, catching cold feet at the view below. Minho next to him was closing his eyes, peeking only to see where he was going.

"It's fine, have you.." he mumbled back, shutting his lips tight together.

"Alright, you two. Get inside please, here, great!" The worker instructed, guiding them both to the cart which was thankfully wider than expected. Minho sat down right away, shutting his eyes even tighter when the cart shook slightly, beginning their ride.

"Hold on, you- you're afraid of heights?!"

Minho opened his eyes for a peek, glaring at Jisung who was sitting next to him, immobile as well. He clawed at his hand, frowning deeper at his words. "Why did you agree to go? This was the worst idea, oh my god."

"No," Minho replied, deeply regretting his choice. "You said you wanted to go."

"Oh my god," Jisung repeated, glancing once over the ledge before cowering back next to Minho, head on his shoulder with their hands held tight.

"At least it's slow" he commented after a moment, taking a moment to look at Minho who seemed to be having the worst time of his life.

"I'm sorry baby, I didn't know, let's not go on these rides anymore."

Minho peeked at him, slowly releasing his hand to wrap it around his shoulders instead.

"It's okay, we're okay. It'll be over soon" he replied, not wanting to worry Jisung so much. "Distract me?"

Jisung thought about it, lost for a moment as he tried to think of anything distracting enough to make the fear go away. "What do you want me to do?" He asked, Minho finally opening his eyes if only a little bit to look back at him.

"Anything, just be Jisung for a moment."

Jisung melted at that, coming up with something to fill up the silence. "Ulterior motive to saying I want to ride the cart, I was hoping for an excuse to make out" He admitted, Minho looking at him in disbelief. "You could have… told me… before…" he complained lowly, biting his lip when the cart shook again.

"Not the best move, but at least I get to hug you really tight for a while," the younger continued, teasing farther. Minho breathed deeply, trying to roll his eyes since he was too scared to move to hit Jisung for it. "You owe me kisses… later… for coming with you" he mumbled, Jisung nodding furiously. "Yessir!"

The cart kept going, seeing they were halfway through the attraction Jisung started to sing to him softly.

"I had a lot of unused lyrics for you when I wrote it, my confession song. Do you remember? Back then, when I got you the bracelet."

Minho remembered, thinking back to that time.

"It was pretty…"

"You hadn't accepted it, though."

The memory was regrettable, Minho pale and frightened by his own feelings that kept growing every day. Even then, Jisung was inevitable, and much like now he couldn't stay away from him.

"The first time I heard you sing… I was falling asleep, and I promised myself I would listen next time,-" Minho started, admission heavy. "But then, next time… you confessed, I was scared…"

Jisung let out a short sigh, trying to remember that night. "The first time, at the party? You were so drunk, I didn’t think you'd remember. I'll rap and sing to you as many times as you want, so don't worry about those times, okay?"

Minho hummed, eyes snapping open when he felt the cart stop. The worker letting them out seemed a bit baffled, seeing them both sprint out with rolling laughter, relieved that it was over.

The two of them then wobbled right towards the elevators, hitting ground level and fidgeting all the way to the safe solid ground.

Down at the bottom they took their time to relax again, watching the ice rink which seemed to be full of couples and families. Minho remembered, they've been to a rink before, although the circumstances have been quite different back then.

"Do you remember rescuing me that time? I got stuck in the middle of the rink, even though I hurt you… you still came to help me out."

Jisung did remember, squeezing Minho's hand in his.

"I figured you were just too stubborn, and a good friend," he assured, letting Minho know he wasn't in any more pain. "It took us a while, but… you liked me too, didn't you? It doesn't make sense to be mad, you were hurt too."

Minho let out a shaky breath, squeezing his hand back.

"I'm wearing the same pants I did, I bought them back on that day" he tried, lighting up the mood.

"Oh, I noticed."

"You noticed?"

"I did."

Minho stared, grinning smugly at his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry I notice, alright? You look good. Who were you with on that day, anyway?" Jisung asked, bringing Minho back to earth.

With-

Ryujin.

"Family," he replied, instinctively protecting his little sister's identity. "Those two are dating now, they were supposed to cheer me up but they kind of ditched me. One of them was the one who convinced me to take the leap, with you."

Jisung smiled, seeming mystified at that. "Can I meet her?" he asked, voice expectant for obvious reasons. He's met Minho's mom, so who else could it be?

"Maybe someday, if our schedules line up."

The two made their way around the ice rink, Minho complaining that his feet feel like jelly from their earlier ride.

"Do you feel like reclaiming those kisses?"

.

Pressed against the wall, the taste of his kisses was addictive and very near overwhelming. The two of them moved, leaning to feel each other's heartbeat.

Stupid, making out behind another booth like last time.

"Feels nostalgic," Minho commented, breaking off to breathe a little against Jisung's smile, and although they were in the shade he could still see it bright, bright, bright.

"This entire day has been," Jisung answered.

What was he doing up until now? How did he ever say no to this, hold back from this, when all he could feel were overwhelming bliss and love for this person, his treasure to protect at any cost. And if Jisung would want it, he would go to any length.

"Sung-"

Jisung kissed him again, nails scraping the back of his head as he dragged him down to meet in the middle, and he did- wanted to meet him, wanted to stay right there in his arms.

A part.

Minho gasped, staring down with hooded eyes. He was ready to kiss again, taste more of him, when Jisung laughed.

"Your phone."

Minho blinked, letting it sink for a moment that his phone started ringing as they were kissing. "I don’t care."

"It could be important!" Jisung protested, smiling wide with his cheeks flushed and lips red. "Just check the caller ID."

Minho relented, phone picking up ringing for the second time. When he saw the caller he paused, deciding to answer just in case.

"Yes, hyung?"

"Come to the station."

.

Standing on the bridge Minho wondered if every investigation of his was bound to end up in misery and death. The sun was going down, casting some shadows on the gruesome scene below as the forensics team worked on recovering the body, the water having caused considerable damage to it.

"At least this one is over," Jae commented, placing a reassuring hand on Minho's shoulder.

In the end they didn't have to check the drug rings, this was it.

"I really wasn't expecting it. I mean, I was, but I kind of hoped for better for him, no matter the kind of pervert he was. He was miserable too, wasn't he?" Minho replied solemnly, nauseous at the sudden thought.

"You shouldn't sympathize too much," Jae advised.

"I can't, I tried too hard. I was thinking how he would act and where he could be, this didn't cross my mind. Do you think his friend would know that he died? Visit him, maybe?"

Jae shrugged, feeling unsure.

All of this only made Minho feel worse. Honestly, he was relieved to know this case pointed towards an accident or a suicide rather than another of Jisung's faults, and that a man like that was off the streets now, wouldn't hurt girls like Ryujin. Yet, knowing his background he felt like it wasn't right.

Someone who's lost his entire family, all alone in the world. Not even his closest friends would learn of his death, morn him, visit his grave- just to recover him wasn't enough, Minho knew this one will haunt him as well.

He shouldn't be feeling so intensely about this.

"Chief! Come see this!" a scientist of the team called, urging Jae to walk down the path leading down from the bridge to the river with Minho in toe.

"What exactly am I looking at?" Jae questioned, inspecting a particularly well reserved part of Minsu's hand while Minho shivered. He wasn't quite used to the sight of it, yet.

"The mud helped it stay in good shape, it seems he was clutching onto something when he died" explained another member of the team, gesturing towards the clutched fingers forming a fist at the end of the limb.

"What movie are we playing, here..? Did you check to see what it was in his hand?" Jae questioned, earning an eyeroll.

"Does it look like we pried his fingers apart by force? We don't want to cause unnecessary damage, you know."

Jae seemed a bit annoyed with the response, taking his phone out to call someone. After a moment the line picked up, Jae's expression softening considerably.

"Wonpil, how is Jiyoung?"

Minho watched curiously as he carried the conversation, skidding around the topic he called about, Minho didn't know.

Eventually he asked.

"Hey, remember that case with that college girl who fell down the stairs? Uhhhh…"

"Kim Daerin," Minho supplied, still confused about his intension.

"Kim Daerin! Thanks. Yes, I think I found another case like it."

The team turned their eyes, all quiet expecting his next words.

"What are the odds you can do me a favor?"

.

Minho sat down, bewildered at the results. It has only been a day since Jae got Wonpil's cousin to turn a blind eye and let them run an autopsy on Minsu's body, despite the fact the case most likely should have been rolled out a suicide and closed.

The autopsy uncovered that in the clutch of his hand Minsu has held a batch of red hair, most likely torn during a struggle right before his death. This result could only mean one thing, and as much as they would want to expand on it, rules were still rules.

"Why is it always prosecutors? This was our work. You know it, they would have closed the case if it weren't for you, now they're taking it?!" He complained, disbelieving that this was really the end of things.

"You know how it works," Jae sighed, done with the conversation. "We've talked about it before, just accept it."

"You're so numb to the job, I can't believe it doesn't bother you. Don't you have a heart??" Minho stormed, still not over it. Jae rolled his eyes, wondering why he ever agreed to adopt this troublesome intern.

"For heaven's sake, let them do their job. Not another word from you! Go call your boyfriend and calm down" Jae ordered, earning a pout from Minho who then turned around and stormed out of his office.

A surprise every day.

As he did he decided to call Felix and see how he was doing. His friend wasn't in the best shape lately, but it seemed he was faring better now that Hyunjin was a little better too.

Honestly, Minho could use a distraction, and Jisung would probably fuss way too much.

"Hyung? What's up?" Felix asked when the line picked, voice tired despite the fact it was only noon.

"I'm doing good, just wanted to check up on you," he answered worriedly, trying not to fret.

"Well, I'm fine I guess. Nothing really changed, but I feel like I'll get over it in a while. You know, I still feel like a kid, but I'm making an effort to be mature this time around- it's really exhausting."

"I know," Minho replied. He really did know, and yet… He was so lucky to have Felix.

"I just can't help these thoughts I never had before, bad thoughts, how I'm not good enough for anyone to like. I can try, but I feel like I'm no good at all."

Minho felt his heart ache, knowing his friend was also having a hard time. What could he even say to help now?

"You know I love you a lot, right? You're important to me, my best friend. I don't agree with these bad thoughts you're having, so if they come back you can tell them to bug off, 'Minho says I'm good, so I am!', like that."

Felix chuckled lightly, the sound easing Minho's mind. "Love you too, hyung. Not in that way though, gosh, in a bro way"

Minho snorted, endeared. "Yes bro, no way bro, we're just bros bro."

Almost as if he were okay.

"And you say you never bully us," Felix accused, voice breathless with laughter.

"Me? No way."

"The recommended friend cooking time is fifteen minutes, a hundred eighty degrees" Felix recalled, drawing a bewildered gasp from the older.

"I only say that to Hyunjin, I never bullied you in my life. You didn't even get the instructions right, it's twenty minutes, twenty!"

"Of course, I apologize," Felix laughed back, loud and carefree this time. Minho was glad to cheer him up.

"Do you want to meet up?"

The question hung in the air, Felix taking a few breaths to calm down before responding.

"You don't have to, you know. I figured you're busy now that you have to take care of your criminal boyfriend too" he remarked, voice regaining a bit of tension yet no hostility, thankfully.

"Come on," Minho whined, feeling guilt hit him again, adding on top of his exhaustion. "You know you're important to me, he's not the only one on my mind."

Felix hummed at that, unconvinced.

"About that," Minho started after a moment- "I'm still working things out, so I would appreciate it if you kept it a secret."

Felix sighed, as tired as he was at first. "I will, I just hope that Hyunjin would too. And hyung," he added, remembering something suddenly.

"Can you please go and check up on Chan hyung?"

Minho inhaled, surprised by the request. "Did anything happen?" He asked, hoping it wasn't anything serious.

"He says he is fine, but something's not right. I would go if I had the mental strength, but right now I'm already… if you have free time to visit me, go visit Chan hyung instead, so that I can stop worrying about him" Felix explained, Minho's heart sinking as he realized that he knew it all already, knew Jeongin and Chan went through something, but has yet to ask them about it.

"I will," he promised, bidding Felix goodbye before ending the call.

After it ended he rushed to check his texts, seeing that Jeongin hadn't replied to him yet despite the fact a few days passed already.

He called, no one answered.

So next, he tried Chan.

…

"The person you have called is unavailable right now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahhaahahahhahahaha no regrets lovesssss  
> Anyway Valentine's getting closer by the day which always reminds me of chapter three in "Now With Both Eyes Open". Since you might be worried now, I'd recommend it, although it's a bit transparent to recommend my own work.  
> Please give that fic a lot of love too if you're into that kind of thing (Smut)!


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontations and more sentiments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm preparing a playlist for this fic! If you want you can help by suggesting songs you feel fit it well :D

Minho knocked on the door, relieved at the sound of quick footsteps thrumming low against the wooden floor tiles of Chan's apartment. A hard stud was heard, a small groan indicating the person inside tripped on their way to the door.

Fewer than three seconds later Chan ripped the door open, taking in the sight of Minho with heavy, sleep vacant eyes. There was a sense of disappointment, the older's quick breaths evening out after running to check who it was.

"Minho," he acknowledged.

Minho stared at him, taking in the way Chan's bloodshot eyes had dark circles under them, hair newly dyed yet oily and messy. His hoodie reeked, smelling of sweat and stained with unidentified foods and liquids Minho couldn't guess the names of. It looked like he hadn't shaved in a while, despite the fact it was very unlike him- looking so vulnerable that it hurt.

"Your phone was off," he stated, held back at a nearly inaudible sigh from the older. "Hold on."

The door closed once more, leaving Minho to wait in the hallway while the other tended to god knows what. The sound of glass bottles knocking together was just barely loud enough, prompting Minho to gently knock again.

A minute later Chan opened the door, gesturing for Minho to come on inside. "Had to clean up a bit" he excused, earning a nod. "It's okay."

Minho hesitated for a moment, taking another look at Chan who seemed tired beyond words. "Hyung, are you okay?"

Chan swallowed at that, smiling at Minho in a way that unsettled him greatly. "I'm fine. Just sick, you know, it'll pass. Didn't realize my phone died"

Minho's eyes narrowed, skeptical of that explanation. "You look like you've been crying" he said.

"I was watching a sad movie before you came" Chan provided, gesturing towards the living room where a dim light could be seen. "Want some water? I'll bring water" He suggested, quick in escaping to the kitchen before Minho could question it farther.

Minho made his way to the living room, seeing that the television was indeed lit, paused while playing a scene from Howl's Moving Castle. He moved a bit closer, leg hitting a discarded metal spoon that probably fell from either the couch or the coffee table.

He picked it up easily, cringing at the sight of leftover ice cream sticking to the carpet where it dripped from the spoon. Upon farther inspection, a similar stain could be seen on the couch where Chan probably sat.

Minho reached out for the remote, turning off the TV before wiping the stains to the best of his ability with whatever could be found on the coffee table- eyes widening when he noticed the nearby pile of used tissues on the other end of it, thrown there absently since the trashcan was back in the kitchen.

He blinked fast, deciding not to comment and instead attempt to gather it up when a loud crash of glass from the kitchen made him start. Jumping to his feet he ran to Chan, finding him safe at least, despite the mess.

"Sorry, sorry I'll just-" Chan apologized, crouching down to gather the pieces of the cup with bare hands. Minho stared, beginning to yell at the older to stop before he hurt himself.

"Are you- stop! Are you barefoot? Hold on, don't do anything- where's the broom and dustpan?"

Chan gave him directions, Minho rushing to follow and get what he needed to safely gather the glass. He came back after a moment, crouching next to Chan and gathering the pieces. Seeing him at work Chan attempted to help, cutting his hand slightly in the process.

"Stop it! Oh my god, you're bleeding-" Minho panicked, exasperated by Chan's carelessness. "-Don't move, alright?"

Chan blinked tiredly, now simply looking at Minho while he wiped the floor clean, opening the cupboard under the sink where he expected to find the trashcan. He threw out the shards, pointedly ignoring the empty cans and bottles of alcohol already in it- tequila, beer, half a bottle of wine…

 _Are you still drunk?_ Minho wanted to ask, although he didn't. Chan seemed so helpless, he couldn't confront him.

Chan slowly stood up, turning to wash out his cut in the sink. "There's a first aid kit in the bathroom," he instructed, seeming too tired to play it up as if he was fine. Minho acted fast, leaving to fetch it.

The bathroom seemed like a mess in itself, although it wasn't as bad as the kitchen and living room have been. Minho reached out, pausing before he could open the cupboard. Down on the sink was a small stack of hair pins, colorful and bright.

A star, a smiley face and a heart, one of a ducky and one of a rainbow… more and more pins that seemed so oddly cheerful, and Minho remembered them all perfectly.

He placed the last pin back down, taking a deep breath before opening the cupboard and taking out the first aid kit. Walking back to the kitchen he waited a moment, watching Chan quietly stare at his phone.

Like this he seemed even more pitiful, hair messed with one hand gently tugging on it while the other kept scrolling, smearing the blood on his ear carelessly.

"Hyung," he choked out, finally gaining Chan's attention.

"Hyung, go shower, you look like a mess." Minho decided, getting over himself with the resolve to help put his friend back together. "I'll bandage the cut when you're done, just- snap out of it"

Chan seemed to take a mental hit by the words, turning off is phone in a rush and setting it aside. "Minho I'm fine, please don't worry—I'll shower, okay? I promise I'm fine."

The older raised his hands in surrender, making his way to the restroom under Minho's despaired gaze. When he was in Minho waited, only relaxing after the sound of streaming water could be heard.

Praying to some god he didn't believe in, Minho used the opportunity to clean up- gathering the used tissues and throwing them away, as well as getting done with the few dirty dishes there were in the sink.

Deciding maybe he should make some soup he opened the fridge, horrified to see it held mostly takeout and alcohol, although some fresh vegetables and fruit could still be found inside. He took out the basics, boiling some water to make into broth.

While waiting he turned, gaze falling across Chan's phone. He reached out to it, making a few attempts at undoing the lock although he wasn't expecting it to work. Then it suddenly did, basic L shape revealing his photo gallery.

Minho breathed deeply, listening out for the sound of the shower -still on- before tapping one to view it, recognizing the fountain from their investigation of Gumri's case. There, in the middle of the picture were Chan and Jeongin, the latter kissing his cheek cutely, timing it right for his surprise to catch on camera.

Minho stilled, feeling suddenly gross.

"It's rude to snoop around," Chan commented tiredly from the entrance to the kitchen, snatching his phone out of Minho's hands although there was no real heat behind it.

Minho swallowed, eyes suddenly fogged up.

"What happened?"

"Minho, go. Leave, I can't do this right now." Chan replied, sitting back down at the kitchen table and making an attempt to bandage his cut. Minho sat down, taking his hand away to disinfect it instead.

"Start talking," he ordered, stubborn as ever.

Chan just sighed, searching his mind for words.

"Two days ago," he started, looking down at his hand.

.

Standing at the door, Jeongin did his best to gather his courage. All those months of flirting, always doing his best to no avail- if this didn't work, nothing will.

Minho's words in mind, he gave himself another pep talk. For sure, all those stares, every pretty, hard earned blush.. surely they amounted to something. Be courageous, determined, straightforward and honest, just as Chan himself had been.

Ringing the doorbell, Jeongin had regretted again not bringing flowers, anything to help cover himself as he stood there waiting dumbly for the subject of his frustration and, unfortunately, overflowing affection.

At the sound of the door opening Jeongin willed himself to stand straight, stop fidgeting and switching his weight from leg to leg. It had been so unnerving, stressful and scary just standing there, and with Chan staring back with wide eyes it only worsened.

"Innie?-"

"-Hyung please listen. I've been thinking about this seriously for a while.. I like you, as a guy. I'm not joking, and I don't mean it like a friend... It's been a long time, I want to go out with you."

Chan stared, mind lost for words as his expression turned sadder. Had he known he would have to let the other down today, he might have reacted better, came up with the right things to say and do- but at the time he didn't, and as instinct called he followed.

"I'm sorry, I- I don't think it's a good idea. It probably wouldn't work out well, you're really young, people like me can easily influence you and.. I want to see you as a little brother, not-"

At that, Jeongin started to cry. It was as if the sky came crushing down, and all of a sudden Chan couldn't breathe either- it hit like a punch to the chest, stealing the air from his lungs and causing his heart to stop. Just like that, the decision he was so certain about, the effort he put all this time into scolding his feelings to submission.. it all led to hurting the person he cared for. It made no sense.

"So I never had a chance? Brother, what the hell-" His love asked between sobs, standing frozen in place. That's not true, now is it? He was lying.

Chan stepped up to him, wrapping the other in a protective hug. "No, no baby I like you, I like you a lot. Don't cry". It was then that his panic set at full force.

Pulling away for just a moment, Chan cupped the other's cheeks, wiping warm tears with both thumbs before saying "I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't want to hurt you Innie, I like you."

Unaffected, the tears flew on- the sight overwhelming and clouding Chan's judgement and coherency. He found that he wouldn't, couldn't think clearly. Instead he stared, Jeongin staring back with growing intensity. Analyzing, watching how Chan's gaze moved down to his lips.

"No-" Jeongin snapped, tearing Chan out of his trans as he stepped back. He sniffed before wiping the remaining tears with his sleeve, offended.

"You," voice cracking, he couldn't find it in him to care.

"Make up your mind" He demanded, and like that he left, turned on his heel and walked down the stairs as if chased by something menacing.

Chan however lingered there still, trying to pick up the pieces of him.

.

Minho's grip tightened, fingers digging into the cut as he bandaged it. "You know you're an idiot, right? This is your fault."

Chan made no sound in protest, accepting Minho's fury for what it was. "You know I was doing the right thing, for him."

"You made him cry, couldn't even cut it cleanly-" Minho accused, clenching his teeth to hold back from yelling farther. He knew it hurt Chan more than he could imagine.

"I guessed that much, at least, it could have been worse" he retorted instead, shocked to see Chan was looking even sadder.

"Come on, you'll be alright."

Chan shook his head, retracting his newly bandaged hand before leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes.

"I kissed him, before. A few weeks ago"

Minho just stared, breath quickening as he waited for Chan to continue. "I made it so much harder for him, twice, we-"

"What did you do?" Minho questioned with calm fury.

"We were together, back at the hotel. Another time in a club, we kissed and then- I was drunk, I… I really messed up, Minho, I need to get out of his life as soon as possible. I'm scared if I turn on my phone I will call him"

Minho just stared, letting anger fill him till it couldn't anymore.

"You're the worst coward I met in my life."

Chan remained silent, accepting his claim.

"You love him too, you could see him that way, too, still- you know if he was a girl, it wouldn't be like that- all because of a stupid age gap, you would break Jeongin's heart, and yours-"

"We'll get over it, even if…" Chan mumbled, rubbing his face with his unharmed hand.

"Even if what? Even if it hurts? You know you hurt him, you jerk."

"Even if," Chan started again, elaborating farther. "Sometimes… Do you believe in soulmates?"

Minho stayed quiet, fists clenching slightly.

"I don't, at least not in the literal sense," Chan added, answering his own question. "I like to think people choose their own soulmates, that it's my choice who I want to keep in my life."

"So?" Minho questioned, unsure where he was going with it all.

"It feels like, if we tried, he could be my soulmate. I like him so much, I don't want that, I don't want to ruin him, he shouldn't be bound to someone like me."

"You don't care how much you like each other, you're just- insecure, think it shouldn't be you," Minho summed up, earning a weak nod.

"You know, I would want to say so- I don't think you deserve him like this either, but hell if that isn't Jeongin's choice to make."

Minho barely swallowed, moved by his fury. "Did you think about his side in this at all? You stole his choice from him, you- this special, one of a lifetime sort of feeling, when all this time you felt the same way-

How many people would kill to be in your shoes, now,

To have love come so easy with nothing to stand between you, you could have made him so happy just like that-

But made it that much harder, more than it ever needed to be- 

At the first hint of an excuse why you two couldn't be together you gave up on him completely, unwarranted,

Although life is always going to bring some obstacle to stand between you and the things you want, nothing comes without effort and sacrifice, you know this-

Jeongin's on the line, his feelings, your feelings, all those excuses just to wimp out on him-"

Chan couldn't find a good answer to give.

"Did you believe this was all for the best? When he's out there and over you, leaving you as a bad memory of the jerk who broke his heart, who's to say he won't get hurt again? He could be miserable the same as he could be better off-

Since you're so sure you know better, can you take responsibility for this, as well?"

"Minho," Chan started, cut off once again.

"If you love him, make sure he's treated the way he deserves. Be the one who treats him that way, prioritize him over your stupid fears.

What are you scared of?"

"I'm scared," Chan replied, seeing Minho was done- "I'm scared that I'll never be good enough for him."

"Is that what it boils down to?" Minho questioned, feeling even more exasperated than before at a shaky confirmation.

"That's your own issue, hyung, Jeongin has nothing to do with it at all."

The two fell to silence, Minho standing up over Chan who was still sitting down in his chair, face in his hand trying to will the tears away.

"Please leave now."

"You know," Minho said instead, refusing to listen since he knew Chan was too tired to kick him out anyway.

"There's nothing wrong with you. Even if you feel this way after Chelle, the only thing in your way is your own stupid mindset. Get over it, and if you don't believe you're enough right now- Get over yourself, man up and become someone who deserves him. Someone who makes him happier than ever."

"I need to think." Chan replied, signing the end of the conversation for good this time. "Leave."

Minho complied this time around, making his way out of the apartment while taking deep breaths to calm himself down. He walked down the stairs and into the parking lot, sitting back behind the wheel and rubbing his face with one hand.

Example number who cares?: Edvard Munch

Works: The Scream (the one with the screaming bald guy on a bridge), The Sick Child (the scary one where they're laying in bed), ~~Puberty~~ , ~~Madonna~~ (why are classical european artists always so gross?) and The Kiss (A little disturbing, but we all had that phase)

Background: Edvard Munch was a norwegian painter born to a pietist family (like me?) on the 12th of december 1863. Seeing as his father was mentally unstable (oh definitely not), after his mother and sister's death (oh my god) Munch has suffered from a mental illness of his own, to which he was aware (poor guy).

Growing up munch has suffered from a weak immune system (that too?), driving him to paint as a hobby while he would stay indoors initially. In a later stage of life Munch had found himself in nihilism, resolving to draw out his soul rather than stick to conventional styles of painting (inspiring!). His views on life and art led to his breakthrough in expressionistic painting (which is why we're studying his work, apparently).

Minho sighed lowly, recognizing the writing as Jisung's. It's been a good while since his schizophrenia acted up, figured that this would bring it back to business.

Tired, he called him.

"Lino? You said you were busy today, are you okay?" Jisung's voice sounded through the phone, and that's when he felt it. They've been seeing each other every day for the past week, and yet he still wanted to see him today, _missed him_ after only a few hours, needed him by his side.

"Hannie, I know I said so, but can you make up some time for me today?"

Minho surprised himself with that one. For a week he skipped some classes, set all his work aside, and even though it piled up he'd still do it once again.

"Okay," Jisung replied, tone cautious, "I still have some work to do, I would love to come over in a few hours if that's alright."

"Sure" Minho rushed to agree, running his hand over his face again. Why was he being so clingy right now? "Sounds fantastic."

"I'll see you then."

.

Minho blinked slowly, staring up at the ceiling of his room while he listened to Jisung's breathing beside him. The two of them met up some time in the evening, Jisung bringing takeout to share with the older. After they ate they both flopped on the bed, waiting for words to come on their own.

The cats jumped on the bed, cuddling up to them both.

"What did you do today?" Minho asked.

Jisung's breath hitched, signing to Minho that his boyfriend was smiling at the question. "I worked on some core subjects like english, called my mom… Our AC was malfunctioning a bit but it's fine, I hope it doesn't break on us when it's this hot outside" he described.

"Then later I worked on art history, there was this artist who drew a very famous painting… hold on, I should know his name, I studied this…" He trailed off, "No I don't, I guess I didn't catch it after all. The painting is called the scream, though."

Minho just hummed, accepting that fact.

"I've been wanting to draw a bridge scene for a while, in the sunset, the river reflects the sky really well. I drew the sea for my piece on Monet, but I wanted to draw a river too. A bridge could be perfect for that, that guy's piece… that's what I painted after you called."

Minho kept staring at the ceiling, overthinking it all. He couldn't forget the sight, down under the bridge where Minsu's lifeless body was found with his head turned to the sky, looking up at the same stars in clear view through Minho's window.

Another bad man, another miserable life ended.

He wondered if he reunited with his family, now.

"Are you okay?" Jisung asked, nuzzling softly against his love's shoulder. Minho turned at last, looking back at him calmly.

"I'm better than okay, resolved." He confessed, marking the end of his words with a soft smile. One day he'll tell him, he just had to wait.

However long he had to, for Jisung.

"Come up here," he encouraged, urging Jisung to move so their lips brushed again. "stay with me"

Jisung moved away, giving him a puzzled look. "I didn't think you'd be the clingy type, you know? Yet here we are. Are you really okay? Why did you call me all of a sudden?"

Minho pouted, seeing that he wouldn't fall for the distraction. "My internship is at a missing person's department, so rarely we stumble across some remains."

Jisung stayed quiet, shocked by the information.

"-Yesterday was like that."

The silence stretched wider, both lost on what to say after that. Jisung chewed on his lip, eventually deciding to throw one leg over Minho's hip, cuddling closer to him while trying not to disturb Dori between them.

"That sounds gruesome."

"It wasn't. More like, the way of death wasn't, it got worse by the time it was found, force of nature and all. I'm not scared, when I see it, I'm fine" Minho described, trying to make it seem less awful than it actually was.

"Then," he diverted, getting to the point that bothered him most, "I went to check up on Chan, and seeing him- I had some thoughts about us, how I'm never going to let you go like that. What happened to him and Jeongin can't happen to us, okay?"

Jisung shivered, frowning for a moment before his expression changed, eyes widening. "That's- Chan? Wait, you went to see him?"

Minho nodded, surprised by Jisung's reaction to that specific detail. "What did you say to him?"

"I mostly got mad he rejected Jeongin, had to lecture him a bit" Minho replied, the two staring at each other with equally confused expressions.

"I didn't know he rejected him. If anything-" Jisung started, cutting himself off mid-sentence. "Is Jeongin turning in tomorrow?"

Minho thought about it, unsure. Jeongin did say he was sick, and was supposed to skip out on a week's worth of work. He hadn't replied to his messages, either. "I don't think so."

"Let's pray for them, then. Do you believe in miracles?" Was Jisung's reply, Minho humming lowly.

"I do."

And soulmates, for all that was worth.

"Let's pray, then, tomorrow something magical will happen."

"Alright."

The silence this time was comfortable between them, touching their foreheads together for more of this warmth that seemed to stick around.

"You were saying, about how you will never let me go..?" Jisung teased, Minho groaning since the words sounded so cheesy now that the moment was over. "Forget it, I'm not going to follow you around or anything, you're free to go. Gosh, that sounded creepy, I can't believe I said that."

Jisung Just laughed, heart smile reaching his eyes. "You say the weirdest things sometimes, it's what makes you so iconic."

"Don't make me laugh, I'm embarrassed" Minho complained, ducking his head to burrow under Jisung's chin. "There, there."

Jisung paused for a moment before commenting farther, "I want to make you laugh, you know, you have a pretty laugh- It's very attractive."

Minho groaned again, hitting his boyfriend's chest lightly with his palm. He quickly gathered himself however, combating the statement with a confession of his own. "You have a pretty smile, heart shaped. I want to see it more."

Jisung hugged him tight, unsure how else to contain the overflowing happiness the other made him feel. "You can look up now if you want, I'm smiling too."

Minho wiggled slightly, moving so that he could see it. "Pretty" he commented, face red yet not so embarrassed anymore. More than anything, he was just in love with Jisung.

Jisung didn't know how to reply, so he just didn't- drawing Minho in for a deeper kiss instead.

"Love you"

"I know, I love you right back."

.

The two were about to fall asleep when Jisung sat up, forcing himself to wake in order to go home.

Their contact lens.

Honestly, Minho wanted Jisung to stay over. There was nothing wrong with it, even after less than a week of dating the two of them felt so close, it was natural- nothing had to happen, but, as he realized his own situation,

How a sleepover would mean he had to reveal his own secret, the biggest secret of his life- the reason for his parents divorce, and all in one night-

What if Jisung hated it?

It was a conversation for another time.

Jisung mumbled something about having no spare clothes and no toiletries, and although it was a weak excuse Minho just let him. Jisung was thankful, since he wasn't ready to reveal that secret to Minho either;

How the other kids bullied him when he was younger, the way that his eye held a deep meaning to him- an imperfection, yet one that always signed to him he was special, magic, gifted by god in a way he didn't understand yet felt with his entire heart.

One thing led to another, Minho driving Jisung home with the excuse that it made no sense to send his boyfriend off on his own when he had a perfectly functional car.

The two of them parked under Jisung's block, the younger reminded of something suddenly.

"Lino, come out! There's someone you need to meet!"

Minho exited the driver's side, watching Jisung disappear into an alley between buildings. This was too familiar, and yet he couldn't place it.

His heartbeat sped up.

"Baby?" He called back, checking to see if Jisung was alright since the shadows were hiding him from sight, giving Minho a slight heart attack.

"Yeah? Aren't you coming?" Was the younger's reply.

Trusting his lover, he stepped in the darkness.

His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark, finally spotting Jisung who was crouching behind a trashcan. At last, he remembered.

"Oh my god."

Sitting by the trashcans were the small litter of kittens, all grown up since the last time he saw them although they weren't old enough to leave quite yet.

"I don't have names for them, but I've been giving them canned food for a while. I thought you would like to meet them" Jisung explained, excitement visible in his eyes.

Minho crouched down, reaching out to pet one kitten, and Jisung could swear he saw his eyes physically light up. "Where's their mother?"

Jisung smiled, reassuring him it was fine. "Their mom is actually really friendly, she'd let you pet her too, she's just gone off somewhere right now."

The answer made Minho relax, happily petting the kitten who had waddled over closer to him by now. "They're expecting food, you're disappointing them by not giving them food right now."

Jisung made a face, poking a finger at Minho's shoulder. "Well I could bring some, I was planning to anyway once you left- It's all up in the apartment."

Minho smiled at him, shining when the kitten licked at his hand. "Let's go, I want to help."

"Yeah?" Jisung asked, standing up at once. "Let's go, then."

The two of them climbed their way up the stairs and down the hallway, reaching Jisung's door which he unlocked easily. "Seungmin's not asleep, is he?"

"I think he should be out studying," Jisung replied, letting Minho in without a word. The two left for the kitchen, Jisung rummaging the cupboards. "There we go. Tuna or chicken? I'm out of the salmon ones."

Minho chose chicken, recalling it was a household favorite at theirs.

"Alright," Jisung agreed, taking it out and holding it proudly for Minho to see. "I like the way this one smells, too."

"You're weird" Minho replied, moving out to stand in the living room. Back there was the photo they almost kissed next to.

"Hyung?"

Jisung followed him out, catching Minho staring at nothing in particular. "You're the weird one, don't go all horror movie on me now."

Minho snorted softly, tugging on his hand.

"Here."

"What?" Jisung asked, visibly confused.

"I want to kiss you here."

Realization dawned on the younger, turning too flustered to do anything but nod. He set the food aside, trying to pick back their eye contact. "It's embarrassing when you say it like that," he complained.

"I feel like we need to make up for that time, I wanted to kiss you so bad and now I can." Minho reasoned back, making his fluster worsen. "You can kiss me anywhere, it doesn't have to be here!"

"I want to, though. Let's do it once" he reasoned.

"Please at least sexile me if that happens," Seungmin complained, standing up in the hallway in only his short pajamas. "Is it the grandma couch? No judging. You do you, everyone's turned on by something."

"Shut up-" Jisung stuttered out, face as red as a tomato now. "We were going to feed the cats! Don't misunderstand."

"Is that what they call it now?" Seungmin replied, rolling his eyes although a faint smirk could be seen on his lips. "Shut up you hell spawn!"

At that Seungmin left, turning to fetch food for himself. "I freaking hate him," Jisung whined.

Minho bit his lip, trying to suppress a smile at how easily flustered Jisung had been. Seungmin was playing him like a cheap fiddle.

Instead of commenting on it he leaned down, kissing his boyfriend softly while his guard was down before grabbing the food, walking back towards the door. "Are you coming?"

Jisung just stared speechlessly, forgetting his bewilderment and only following Minho, dumbfounded.

At the same end of campus, cats were fed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone curious about what exactly happened between Chan and Jeongin, it's farther expanded on in my fic "Now with both eyes open" under the same series! That fic is made of various smut shots between Chan and Jeongin that i didn't want to include in the main fic since they're not very relevant to the plot. There's a lot of fluff in there as well, so if you want to you can find comfort in that :D  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
